


Not Ready for an Adventure

by Anrisa Ryn (Anrisa)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:37:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 35,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5829265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anrisa/pseuds/Anrisa%20Ryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would happen if a person a little less adventurous fell down the hole?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

         Falling down a hole was not part of the plan.  
         In fact, it was opposite of the plan. Why had you come here in the first place?  
         Oh, yeah, something about mushrooms? Yeah, you had to get mushrooms for dinner. You don't know why you didn't just get them from the lower paths.  
         But, you know, you always had to wander away from the original plan.  
         The hole was deeper than you had expected. You look up and saw the opening. It seemed so small and far away. How had you fallen this far and not gotten seriously hurt?  
         You look down at where you sat and saw the floor was covered in some yellowing leaves. No, they were flowers. They seem a lot sturdier than you expected. This adventure is not what you expected at all anyway, so why not some flowers that you didn't expect either? Ah, well, no matter. Only one way to go, right?  
         You stand up and wander away from the hole. There's a mysterious-looking door at the end of what seems like a hallway. It's surrounded by an archway that appeared very well constructed. Did someone live down here? It seems very out of place.  
         With no other options, you decide to walk through the doorway. You look up at the bottom of the arch as you pass through. It seems to contain some mica that catches the light from the top of the hole. What a strange place.  
         More darkness greets you as you continue. But there seems to be a small patch of light from above in here as well. It shines like a spotlight on another patch of yellow flowers. One flower seems larger than the rest, but you think nothing of it. As you walk past, hoping to find a way out, the largest flower seems to come alive.  
         "Hello," it says.  
         You leap back in surprise and yelp. The flower talks! Flower! Talks! Flower...what is this place? Flowers don't talk! Were you dreaming?  
         You shake your head, hoping you weren't going crazy. But the flower is still there. It seems friendly. It has a smile on its "face."  
         "Hello," it says again. "Aren't you a human? Welcome."  
         You blink a few times and nod cautiously.  
         "Here is a special place. Here we share LV with everyone," the flower says. "What does LV mean? Why, it stands for LOVE."  
         You feel a strange pulling on your chest and gasp as what appears to be your own heart pulled right from it. You fall forward, grasping your chest. But, as you stand back up again, you feel no pain. You can still breathe. The heart that was pulled from you appears to be more of the shape of a heart, not an actual human heart.  
         "That is your soul," the flower explains. "You use your soul in this world to gather LOVE."  
         Still traumatized by your soul being pulled from your body, you can only nod. You try to reach for the soul, but your hand goes through it. How can this be happening? You feel as if you will die.  
         "Don't worry, silly," the flower says. "Your soul is meant to be as it is in this world. Like I said, it's used to gather LOVE. Here, I have some to share."  
         The flower releases what looks like seeds into the air. On instinct, you shrink back and cover your face. Your soul reacts the same way, backing away from the "attack."  
         The flower seems annoyed. "Don't back away. It's just LOVE. Here, try these." It releases more seeds, but you shrink back again. Your soul follows suit.  
         "What are you doing? Accept my LOVE." The flower is insistant. It's making you uncomfortable. Once again it releases more seeds.  
         You reach for your soul, but the flower grows angry now.  
         "Are you _trying_ to make me suffer?" it says. It is now very angry and you want to run away and hide. Its face suddenly changes from friendly to something of nightmares. "Fine then! I will _make_ you accept it!"  
         The flower cackles and begins to throw seeds all over the place. You shout in fear but your soul is still in the open. The seeds strike your soul and you feel a deep pain in your chest. You try to shout for help, but the pain is so strong you can't breathe. All you can hear is the sound of the strange cackling flower as you fall backwards, tyring to breathe.  
         Suddenly, a strange heat fills the room. The flower has stopped cackling. You sit up to see a strange goat-woman standing over you.  
         "Are you alright?" the goat-woman says.  
         You are too stunned to say anything. She extends her hand in what seems like a friendly manner. You shake your head and look at her offered hand. The flower is gone, but your trauma is not. Who was this goat? Was she just like the flower?  
         "I see. You must have really gotten a scare," she says. She sits down in front of you as a gesture of good will. You pull your knees up close and try to hide, but you are still in shock and cannot move. "Did you fall down here?" she asks, trying to ease the tension.  
         You look up at her, then look away. You nod silently.  
         "So, that means you are a human." The way she says it is so matter-of-fact it causes you to look at her. "There were other humans that fell down here, but they left."  
         You ask her where they went. She seems surprised that you are speaking now, but glad as well.  
         "They fell down here and then left. That's all."  
         You ask her how they left. You tried to convey that you wanted to leave as soon as you could. You didn't mean to fall down the hole and you wanted to go back home.  
         "I don't know if that's such a good idea," she says. She stands up and offers her hand again. You look at it, but this time, accept the assistance. "My name is Toriel. What is your's?"  
         You tell her your name.  
         "Well, the least I can do is give you a place to rest for the night," she says. That rude flower has been pestering humans that fall down the hole for a while. It's very traumatizing."  
         You realize she never answered your question, but decide her suggestion is a decent one. Maybe she would tell you later. After all, staying here wasn't a good idea either way. That flower might come back....


	2. Chapter 2

          There was something about this goat-woman that made you feel much more at ease. What was her name again? Oh yes. Toriel. Knowing you had an ally in this scary place filled you with a strange feeling. Perseverance? No, determination.  
          She lead you to the next room which appeared to be much better lit that the previous. This room had a violet hue as if someone had decided that stone was not an exciting enough color. It seemed well-made, but she couldn't have made it herself. Was there life down here besides her? Before you was a set of stairs, which she walked up ahead of you. She turned and waited as if testing you. You felt as though she was making sure you were alright.  
          As she released your hand though, you felt a bit scared. You shiver and look around. But, as she made her way up the stairs, you began to feel a bit better. She looked at you, waiting for your next action.  
          You spot a sparkling stone on the floor. Automatically you go to pick it up. It is, however, unmoveable, held fast on the floor. You leave it be, but it somehow makes you feel a little less scared, too. In fact, it fills you with more determination. You know what you have to do now.  
          Toriel sees your expression change and smiles. She beckons you to follow her up the stairs, which you do. She takes your hand once again and leads you to another violet room. It smells of dust and stone, but appears very clean. You wonder if she is the one that comes to tidy it up now and then.  
          This room is a bit smaller than the last, and also houses a series of large buttons on the floor. You look at them in confusion, but Toriel knows what to do.  
          "In these ruins are many puzzles," she explains, releasing your hand. She makes her way over to the collection of buttons and continues. "Please adjust your sight to them. You will see them quite a lot."  
          You ask her who created them.  
          "They were created after the humans forced us underground. Mostly, they are used to keep intruders out and protect us monsters."  
          You turn white at the mention of monsters. You ask if she is a monster.  
          "Yes," she smiles. "I am a monster."  
          You explain that monsters are supposed to be scary.  
          "Many humans have said this before, but I can assure you that I have no intention of scaring you."  
          You stay silent for a moment and look at her. She smiles at you, but you don't feel relaxed.  
          "Let me show you this puzzle. It may help ease your worry," she says. She steps on the four outer buttons, leaving the two inner buttons unpressed. A grinding sound follows and you jump. But, it's just the door opening.  
          "There are more puzzles like this, and some may be trickier. But you seem quite intelligent, and I believe you can solve them just fine."  
          The goat-woman's comments make you feel a little better. You chew on the end of your sleeve nervously. She comes over to grasp your hand once more and you begin to feel even better. You decide you like this monster.  
          The next room is much bigger and seems to contain a few bridges that cross flowing water. It is clean and not sewage-ridden like you expect. There must be a way the monsters get clean water; they appear to need the same things humans do.  
          Toriel pauses and releases your hand. You feel much more confident than when she previously had done so.  
          "This room contains a few switches you need to press to continue," she explains. "I've marked them already since I go this way a lot. You just need to press them. When you are done, I will meet you at the end of the room."  
          As Toriel leaves to meet you at the end of the hall, you feel confident you can do this. Crossing the first bridge, you see a switch on the wall. It's marked with bright yellow paint with a few arrows pointing toward it. Next to it is some neat writing that says "this one." You smile slightly at her care to make sure it was this switch that needed pressing.  
          You pull the switch. It feels like a large light switch that may have been kept in a large-scale factory facility. You've only seen a switch like this a few times. It seems easy to pull down as if it has been used many times before. The second switch is next to another switch, but is clearly marked as the correct one, once again. You pull the second one and turn to Toriel.  
          On pressing the second switch, a clanking sound echoes through the hall. It appears the switch caused a set of spikes to retract. You get a chill thinking of someone who may not have seen them. A grimace crosses your face and you swallow nervously.  
          "Do not worry, child. With me, you will be safe," she assures you, taking your hand again. You nearly leap over the spikes trying to get away from them. Toriel is surprised, but seems to understand your feelings. She takes a few extra steps to catch up with you while not letting go of your hand.  
          The next room is much smaller and contains what looks like a punching bag with a head. You ask her what it is.  
          "This is a practice dummy," she explains. "As a human in the underground, you may be attacked by monsters."  
          Your face goes white again. This is not something you wanted to deal with. You stammer something intelligible, but the goat-woman interrupts.  
          "Do not worry, little one! I promise you will be alright. When a monster attacks you, you will enter something called a fight. But you do not have to physically fight them, this is just what the action is called." You feel yourself relax a little as she continues. "When in a fight, you just have to distract the monster until I am able to resolve the situation. I will be nearby to assist. You can do many things including simply striking up a conversation."  
          You nod, intrigued.  
          "Try to practice with this dummy."  
          You decide it seems okay. She _is_ standing right there in case there was any problems. Upon approaching the dummy, you feel the pull on your soul again.   
          You begin to panic. This is just like the flower! This dummy will try to kill you, too! You fall back, clutching your chest as your soul is once again exposed.  
          But the dummy doesn't seem interested. It is alive, you can tell. It looks at you plainly, seemingly not impressed. You stand back up, watching your soul float before you, its red color glowing against the violet floor.  
          You try to engage the dummy in conversation. You ask it how it is doing.  
          The dummy does not reply. It seems uninterested. But, Toriel seems pleased.  
          You try again to speak to the dummy. You ask it what it likes to do for fun.  
          The dummy looks at you and blinks a few times, but seems uninterested, still.  
          Toriel is very pleased with you and claps her hands. The dummy gives a small bow and disappears.  
          You step back, surprised, but Toriel is glad. You feel accomplished even though you didn't feel like you did much.  
          "Very good," she says. "Very well done." She smiles at you and takes your hand once again. You begin to feel more at ease as she leads you to the next room.


	3. Chapter 3

          Toriel continues to lead you through the ruins. It makes you feel a bit better to be guided, but your thoughts continue to wander back to the surface. You hope you can make it back safely. You think of your room, where you would much rather be right now. This place was not very comforting.  
          You must have unconsciously squeezed Toriel's hand, because she looks at you. She seems concerned at first, but smiles warmly, hoping to help you relax a little. You gulp as you follow her into the next room.  
          "There is another puzzle in this room," she explains, pausing as you enter another hallway. You know what is coming. She's going to let go of your hand. You look at her, hoping she understands how you feel. She starts to say something, then changes her mind. "I was going to see if you could solve it yourself, but let me just show you. I don't think you want to be alone anymore than you already have."  
          A wave of relief sweeps over you as she leads you to another part of the room that has quite a lot of spikes on the floor. Your face goes white and you plant your feet on the spot. She turns to you and explains.  
          "Do not worry, little one. Let me show you." She takes a step onto the spikes and they retract automatically as if they are afraid of her. She lifts a foot up and the spikes come back. She demonstrates one more time, showing that the spikes retract at the pressure of her foot. "Do you see? It is safe."  
          You shake your head, looking away. This is too much. You don't know how much more you can handle this.  
          Toriel sighs. You expect it to be a sigh of frustration, as you've experience this many time before. But it's not. It's a sigh of understanding.  
          "Very well, little one," she says. You look at her, a little surprised, but are even more surprised when she scoops you up in her arms like a lost kitten. You freeze, unsure of what to do, but she very carefully carries you across the strange floor. You watch at the spikes retract in what looks like fear. You are confused by this place.  
          She carefully puts you down at the end of the room and takes your hand again. "It has been a long time since I have met someone so fragile."  
          You look up at her, a tinge of guilt in your eyes.  
          "Do not worry, little one. You are no trouble at all. Now, come with me."  
          You squeeze her hand, feeling a little better. The place seems a little less cramped now. You wonder why everything is still purple and reason there may have been some kind of purple craze in the paint store or something.  
          The next room is very large. The walls sparkle very slightly as if signalling something, but you don't know what. Toriel paused and turns toward you, kneeling down so she can look into your eyes.  
          "I have a very difficult request for you, little one." She seems to feel the tension in your body, but her voice seems to also say that she believes in you. "I would like you to walk to the end of this room yourself."  
          You feel a chill down your spine. Was she leaving you here? No, she didn't seem like she was. But, she was leaving you here for a moment. But, what if you got lost? You try to tell her that you didn't think this was a good idea, but no words seem to come out.  
          "Trust yourself, little one. You can do this," she said with a warm smile. She puts a claw on your shoulder, then stands up. "We will see each other shortly. I promise."  
          As you watch her leave, you gulp uneasily. But, she was right. You could do this. All you had to do was go to the other end of the room, right? It wasn't very far. You could see the doorway from where you stood. You found it strange you didn't see where Toriel went, but she obviously needed to do something really quick, and she promised she'd be back.  
          But, people had made promises like that before. Sometimes they came back, and sometimes they didn't. You felt the color drain from your face. What if she didn't come back? The room suddenly seemed very large and you began to feel very small. But Toriels words seem to ring in your mind. They made you feel strange. It was this new feeling - determination.  
          You gulp again, but clench your jaw. You tell yourself you can do this. Just make it to the other end of the room. There is nothing here than can hurt you. There is nothing here that will attack you. You are safe.  
          You take a step into the hallway. Nothing happens. It is silent.   
          You take another step. Again, nothing happens.  
          You take a few more steps, and soon you are making your way down the hall. You tell yourself this is not so bad. You're almost there. Toriel is just around the corner.  
          When you arrive at the end of the hallway, a single plinth waits there, surrounded by vines that crawl up its side and onto the stone walls. You find it strange it sits alone like this, but the architecture is similar to its surroundings, so it's not out of place.  
          You touch the plinth. It seems similar to the human-made one above ground. For a moment, you forget about Toriel, and think about the plinth. A history of architecure floods your mind from the books you've read.  
          You are broken from your thoughts by a familiar voice.  
          "Very good," Toriel says with a smile. You hadn't seen her approach. You jump slightly in surprise, but are glad to see her. Without warning, you hug her tightly.  
          "Oh!" Toriel is surprised, but glad for the hug. "I am glad to see you, too, little one. But our journey is not over. There is more ahead."


	4. Chapter 4

          "I would like to tell you, little one," the goat-woman says as she leads you forward, "that the request I had previously for you was a test."  
          You pause and she turns to you, squeezing your hand. She senses your confusion.  
          "That request was to test your independence. I will not always be there to help you, so it is important to know that you are able to act on your own."  
          You frown, feeling uneasy. You ask what she means by "not always there."  
          She smiles, but says nothing. You begin to feel more uneasy, but you decide it's better to stay silent. Maybe it is just an expression.  
          "Now, I must attend to some business, so you will have to wait here for a while," she continues.  
          _This_ is what she meant. No! She can't leave you alone! The flower will come back! As she releases your hand, you try to grab her claw again. You tell her she can't leave! You have no idea where you are. You don't know what to do or where to go. You tell her the flower might come back! You begin to panic. Your breathing becomes shallow and you feel light-headed. The world begins to spin. You ask her again to not go!  
          "Little one, I promise I will not be long," she says, trying to calm you down.  
          You try to explain how you feel, but words don't happen.  
          "Here, take this," she says, holding a small cell phone out to you. It's very old and reminds you of the brick-shaped cell phones of the early 1990s. You begin to calm down a little as you realize her number has already been put into the phone. You ask if you can call her.  
          "That's what it is for, little one!" she says, pleased you have caught on so fast. "If you get lonely, you can call me on this phone. But I won't be gone long. Please wait here - exploring alone is dangerous."  
          You feel your eyes become damp. You ask her once more if she really has to go. She smiles warmly.  
          "Don't worry, child. I promise I will be back soon."  
          You watch her go, sitting down next to the plinth. You begin to think of the pictures you saw in books of ancient roman buildings. The plinth is rough and smells of sand. It's not particularly comfortable, but decide leaning on it is better than being alone. You begin to think of the plinth as a friend. You know admitting this to anyone would be strange, but you resolve to say nothing to anyone anyway.  
          Breaking from your thoughts, you look at the phone in your hand. You wonder if it has been long enough of a wait to consider calling Toriel. You are too alone to think of another option, so you decide to call her anyway.  
          "Hello, this is Toriel." She answered quickly, almost as if the phone is attached to her face.  
          You say hello.  
          "Oh! Little one is that you?"  
          You tell her it is you.  
          "Did you need something?"  
          You think for a moment, then ask her to tell you about herself.  
          "Oh? Well there isn't much to tell, I'm afraid. I am just a silly old woman that worries too much."  
          You tell her she is not silly, but very kind.  
          "Thank you very much," she replies with a smile in her voice. "Did you need anything, child?"  
          You pause, unsure of what to say. Then, a thought occurs to you. You tell her about your thought.  
          "You wish to call me 'mom?'" She seems surprised. "Will that make you feel more comfortable?"  
          You say it will, but mention nothing about whether or not you have a mother aboveground.  
          "Well, then, you may call me whatever you like, little one." She seems pleased with your request.  
          You also tell her you think she is pretty.  
          "Huh?" She pauses, then chuckles. "How adorable! I could pinch your cheek! Thank you very much, little one."  
          You tell her thank you for her help and that you hope to see her soon.  
          "You will, child. Just be patient!"  
          Without warning, she hangs up the phone. You feel she has little experience with technology, but she is kind and you appreciate that. You lean back on the plinth and being to wonder how long she will be.  
          After a few more minutes, you begin to feel restless. You want to call Toriel again, but something draws you to the room at the end of the hall. You stand up and peek through. It appears to be empty, save a few piles of leaves. They must have fallen from aboveground. There doesn't appear to be anything dangerous. You feel there's no harm in checking it out.


	5. Chapter 5

          As you step into the next room, the cell phone suddenly rings. It's Toriel.  
          "Hello! You have not left that room have you?"  
          You stay silent for a minute. It's as if she knew! You feel guilty, but tell her that you haven't anyway.  
          "Good," she says. "There are a few puzzles ahead that I haven't explained. It would be dangerous to go by yourself."  
          You let her know you understand.  
          "Alright, be good!" she says, and hangs up the phone.  
          You gulp. You didn't want to stay here, but Toriel asked you to stay. You frown, thinking about what to do as you walk back to the plinth.  
          A few minutes later, the phone rings again.  
          "Hello! This is Toriel. My errands are taking a little longer than I expected. Can you wait five more minutes?"  
          You tell her it's no problem for you to wait. She seems glad.  
          "Alright, I will be there soon!"  
          You wait another five minutes. Toriel is still not here. You begin to worry as time ticks by. But, thankfully, the phone rings again.  
          "Hello! This is Toriel again. I'm sorry for taking so long!"  
          You tell her it is ok.  
          "I found what I was looking for, but before I could get it, a small, white dog grabbed it from me! I am going to chase it down. I hope you don't worry too much."  
          You tell her that it is fine. You don't mind waiting, but it is getting a little scary alone.  
          "Alright, I will be there soo-hey! What are you doing?"  
          The sound of excited barking comes through the phone instead of Toriel's voice. You listen, confused. It seems a dog has taken the phone. You hear Toriel shouting at it in the background.  
          "Give me back that cell phone! I need it to talk to Little One!"  
          The dog seems to have dropped the phone now. There is loud sniffing. You hear scratching noises and muffled goat-woman yelling. You frown and wonder what to do. If a dog has taken her phone, there would be no way to call you. You could be waiting for a long time.  
          You decide this is not satisfactory. You gulp, and push yourself to the next room. The puzzles couldn't be that hard, right? If this is the only path, you could meet Toriel very shortly.  
          The sound in the phone is now just soft breathing. It seems the dog has fallen asleep. You press the "end call" button and decide it  _is_ better to keep going.  
          In the next room, a strange frog sits near a door in the wall. There are large piles of leaves around. You recall jumping into some similar leaves a few days ago and wonder if these are the same kind of leaves from the surface. As you step into the leaves, you spot another shiny rock. Seeing it reminds you of the first and begins to fill you with determination. You feel much more confident now. So confident, that you go to speak to the strange frog. It's rather large - about the same size as you, in fact. It seems nervous, but you smile at it and it seems to relax.  
          "Let me offer you some advice, human," it says. You are surprised it talks, but having already met a talking flower and a talking goat-woman, it doesn't seem too unusual. "If a monster doesn't want to fight you, please have mercy."  
          You nod understandingly. Something about this fact seems very useful.  
          There is a door next to the frog. You feel this is the correct way to go and carefully make your way in.  
          This room is small, but nicely decorated. On either side of you is a small pool of crystal clear water. Vines crawl up the far wall, and a circle of leaves surrounds a small pedestal. It's not so scary. You see that there is a bowl of something colorful on top of the ornate pedestal. As you approach, you realize they are small pieces of wrapped candy. They appear to be saltwater taffy, but you cannot be sure. You remember a time where you purchases a bag of saltwater taffy for yourself with some pocket money. There were many colors of those as well and each color had its own flavor. You wonder if these candies are similar.  
          There is a small, hand written sign near the bowl that says "take one." You don't want to take one right away because someone might be coming back for these. What if they spot you and get angry that you are taking their candy? You don't want anyone angry with you.  
          But the sign says that you can take one. You hope that the person that left them doesn't mind. You see a pink-colored one. It must be strawberry flavored. You decide this one is the best one to take. You gingerly pick up the wrapped candy and put it in your pocket. Just one is fine, right? You hope again that no one will get angry at you.  
          As you pass by the frog again, you feel that your guilt is written all over your face. But the frog just smiles at you. It seems glad that you have taken just one piece. You are not sure how you can tell, but you feel a little better.  
          An idea comes to you. You offer the candy to the frog. It seems very pleased, but shakes its head. It seems the candy is meant just for you. You are not sure how you feel about this. It begins to bother you, and you decide to simply leave the candy on the floor in front of the frog. It seems confused and tries to push the candy back to you. You shake your head and point at the frog, trying to explain that it is a gift.  
          The frog does not know how to take it. It blushes deeply and accepts the gift. It thanks you and gives you a smile.  
          You feel quite a bit better and wave to the frog as you leave. You decide that the choice you made was a better one, even if you still feel very bad about taking the candy. Toriel did say to be good, so you decide that you would try very hard to do so.  
          The next room is just as purple as the rest. The floor seems a little older in this room. There are cracks along the wall and one the floor. You step carefully, trying not to break anything. The floor groans in protest and you squeak in fear. As you take a step onto the next tile, a loud cracking echoes against the wall and your heart drops to your stomach. You feel yourself falling!  
          You shout out for help, but no one answers. Everything is too bright. You begin to panic. This is the end of your journey. You should have just stayed in the room and waited for Toriel. But no, you had to go find that phone for her. This was all a horrible idea. You would die here alone! No one would know where you are! For a split second, you see your life flash before your eyes.  
          And then you hear the soft crunch of leaves as you land on a large pile on the floor below.


	6. Chapter 6

          You lay on the leaves, waiting for your pulse to slow down. They are nice leaves - very comfortable. You wonder where they came from. You don't see any obvious holes in the cieling besides the one you fell through. Maybe these leaves were brought here on purpose by someone that worried about people falling into holes. You think this was a very thoughtful thing to do. You just had a talk about leaves with someone a few days ago, too. You recall they said something about luna moths making cocoons under fallen leaves and that's why you shouldn't get rid of them. They also said something about spiders liking leaf piles.  
          You stand up quickly in reaction to the thought. Spiders! That was the  _last_ thing you wanted to run into! Spiders! Spiders in the leaves! You feel your pulse speeding up again. You did not want to see any spiders. You try to calm your breathing. Maybe leaving the room was not such a good idea. You find yourself starting to cry again, both out of guilt and fear.  
          No, you tell yourself. Now is not the time. You wipe your eyes, but you can still feel the tears come. You hated being lost. Even worse, you were lost and alone. But there was no one to call. The dog still had the phone. Toriel might never come after you if you don't make your way out of here.  
          You turn to see a doorway to the right and a doorway to the left. You have a feeling you just came from the left, so you decide the right side door might be a better choice. Upon entering it, you feel yourself being pulled upward. You try not to panic, and are rewarded by being places on the opposite side of the cracked floor from where you came. Good, you are past the hard part. This might not be so bad.  
          Upon entering the next room, your phone rings. You are surprised by the noise and jump. You grab the phone from your pocket and nearly drop it. You hadn't realized how shaken you were from everything that has happened.  
          It's Toriel. You tell her you are glad to here that her phone has been retrieved.  
          "Oh, yes, that was a little frustrating," she admits. "But the dog actually brought the phone back after I offered to pet it."  
          You smile a little. It's good to hear a familiar voice, even if it's one you've only known for a few hours.  
          "Anyway, the reason that I called is because I wanted to ask you something," she says. "For no reason in particular, do you prefer cinnamon or butterscotch?"  
          You think for a minute. You feel you know why she is asking, but you tell her that you like butterscotch.  
          "Oh! I see! Thank you very much," she says, then promptly hangs up.  
          You are confused by the question, but you don't think it's a bad question. Besides, she probably has a nice surprise waiting.  
          You are about to continue, when the phone rings again.  
          "You do not dislike cinnamon do you? I know what your preference is, but you wouldn't turn up your nose if you found it on your plate, right?"  
          You tell her that you don't mind cinnamon. You ask her if she is alright.  
          "Yes, I am fine. Thank you for being patient!"  
          She hangs up the line and you turn back to focus on the room you have entered. There is a sign to the left which reads "Three out of four gray rocks reccomend that you push them." You scratch your head at this and wonder how someone could get the opinion of a rock. But the relevance of the sign becomes clear as you spot a possibly mentioned rock sits in the middle of the room. Next to it appears to be a pressure plate of some kind.  
          You don't want to be rude and push the rock without asking. But, after asking the rock if you can push it, the rock says nothing. You try again, but the rock still stays silent. You wonder if you are going crazy - rocks don't talk, do they?  
          Well...flowers talk...and goats...talk. Why would a rock not talk?  
          You groan. What kinds of question was that? Of course rocks don't talk.  
          You try not to think about it as you push the rock onto the pressure plate. Some spikes at the other side of the room retract. That was simple enough. You bite your lip, hoping you did ok.  
          As you enter the next room, a familiar-looking frog hops over to you. You say hello, but the frog seems confused. You ask if you had met it before and it shakes its head. It appears to not want to fight you, but still blocks your way.  
          You ask it politely to move, but it seems confused. It opens its mouth and a small cloud of flies emerge.  
          That horrible feeling! Your chest feels like its ripping apart as your soul emerges once again. A fight! No! Toriel isn't here to help you! You clutch your chest and fall forward. You cry out, willing your heart-shaped soul to avoid the flies.  
          It listens, much to your surprise. It appears you can tell your soul where to go so it doesn't get hurt. You grimace and try to stand up. The frog watches you as you try to think of something to do.  
          An option appears, almost like words in front of you. It's so obvious that you can't beleive you didn't see it before.  
          You compliment the frog - you say that it has a very nice color.  
          It appears the frog cannot understand you clearly, but it feels the intent in your words. It begins to turn pink, presumably blushing. Then, in what looks like an act of submission, it bows to you. It waits, in the bowing position, as if asking permission.  
          You realize it is asking to be spared. You tell it that it is safe from attack and it can go.  
          The frog seems pleased, and hops away. You watch it go, perplexed. Your soul-heart seems to have dissappeared as well. Was that a fight like Toriel was speaking about? You didn't know if you could take another one. Your soul being ripped fro your chest every time you enter a fight did not appeal to you. You gulp, hoping to not run into anyone else for a while.


	7. Chapter 7

          As you enter the next room, you see three rocks. They look familiar, and find it rather strange these rocks are exact copies of the one from before. You bit your lip, hoping you don't have to run into another frog. The room seems empty, so you head over to the rocks. There are three of them this time, all with companion pressure plates. You know what to do here.  
          The first two rocks move easily. You push them until you hear the click of the plate. But as you approach the third, you freeze. Did that rock just move? No, it couldn't have. Rocks aren't alive. The last room proved that. Rocks are rocks. Not alive.  
          But, as you approach the third and get ready to push it, a voice comes out of nowhere.  
          "Woah there, pardner! Who said you could push me around?"  
          You scream! The rock talked! The rock! Rock! You fall backwards, holding your chest. You shout that rocks can't talk. You must be dreaming.  
          "Rocks can't talk? What rocks are you talking to that can't talk?"  
          There isn't even a mouth. How can this rock talk? You stare at the rock, still clutching your chest. You insist that rocks don't talk, though not as loud this time.  
          "Well, that's not very nice, pardner. As ya can see, I am indeed talkin'."  
          You tell the rock that there was a flower that could also talk, and that flower was not very nice.  
          "Well, I'm not a mean rock. At least, I think so."  
          You calm down a bit. You apologize to the rock, saying you needed to activate the pressure plates. You point towards the other rocks to show that they are sitting on the plates.  
          "Hmm, I see. Well, let me give ya a hand then, darlin'," the rock says. After a moment of silence, you see the rock pushing itself toward the pressure plate. As it slides into place, you hear the click of more spikes in the distance, and a bridge across the room seems open now. You thank the rock, feeling odd about talking to one in the first place, and start toward the door. But, as you approach, the spikes raise again.  
          You frown, and turn back to the rock. It appears the rock has moved off the plate. You bite your lip, knowing you have to ask the rock to stay on the plate. YOu didn't want to bother it any more than you have already. But you muster up some confidence, and make your way back.  
          "You wanted me to  _stay_ there?" the rock asks, a little annoyed.  
          You gulp and nod awkwardly.  
          "Alright, but just for you, pumpkin."  
          As the rock moves back onto the plate, you breathe a sigh of relief. You are glad you didn't make the rock mad. You furrow your brow, thinking of what a strange place this is.  
          The following room is rather small. A pile of leaves sits in the center. It seems safe enough. But as you approach, a strange, white shape begins to become more solid. It looks like its laying on the leaves. It reminds you of a kid with a sheet over their head - a poorly drawn ghost.  
          A ghost? Your face turns white like the sheet you had just thought of. The ghost seems to be sleeping, so you very slowly back away until it fades from your vision. There's a ghost! What were you supposed to do with a  _ghost?_ You cover your mouth in case you screamed. You didn't want to wake up the ghost. It could be an angry spirit! You've been told enough ghost stories to know some ghosts can do a lot of damage. Not that you liked those stories - they always gave you nightmares. Oh god, what should you do now?  
          You hear the ghost move, though its invisible at this distance. A strange buzzing seems to be coming from it.  
          "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."  
          Zzz? Was it pretending to sleep?  
          The ghost continued to buzz. You wonder why it thinks "zzz" is the sound of sleep. But you know now it's not sleeping.  
          You set your jaw and decide that it was time to ask it to move, especially if it is just pretending to sleep. You feel yourself fill with determination, and hope nothing bad happens. You approach the ghost and give it a slight shove. You are surprised it is solid. It moves slightly, sitting up and looking at you.  
          You feel the familiar tug of your soul being pulled out again. Oh no. You didn't want to fight anyone! You grit your teeth and squeeze your eyes shut. The action of your soul being ripped out for these "fights" doesn't hurt, but you still just cannot get used to it.  
          "Here comes Napstablook," the ghost says, looking at you. It appears the ghost is crying, but its tears seem to be its magic as well. You grimace, trying to protect your soul from the tear-attack.  
          You grimace, but try to stand firm. The ghost looks at you very plainly. It doesn't appear to have any sense of humor, or any senses at all. You make a fist with both hands, trying to think of what to do.   
          Napstablook clearly looks like it doesn't want to be here, though. It "cries" again, causing you to will your soul to move out of the way of its "attack."   
          Talking always seemed to work before. Maybe if you cheer up the ghost, he'll let you by. You tell him a joke.   
          He seems confused. "I'm really not up to it right now. Sorry."  
          You give him a patient smile. You recognize the feeling. More, larger tears now. You don't know how much longer your soul can dodge this.  
          Napstablook frowns, but seems a little better than before.  
          You tell him another joke, hoping he stops his attacks.  
          The ghost laughs softly. You celebrate inwardly. It worked!  
          "I want to show you something," he says. He twists his body slightly upward and releases another attack, but this time, the "tears" flow upward toward his head. A strange hat begins to form on his head. You blink, unsure of how to react.  
          "I call it 'dapper blook,'" he says. "What do you think?"  
          You are amused. You give him a little cheer. It seems to please him enough to end the fight. As your soul begins to return to its place, the ghost smiles.  
          "I usually come down here because there's nobody around. But today, I met somebody nice," he says. "Oh, but I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way."  
          Before you can protest, he disappears. You frown, silently wishing he would have stayed a little longer.


	8. Chapter 8

          Two choices lie ahead of you - a room ahead of you, and a room to the left. Something draws you to the room directly ahead. It must be that strange smell.  
          Within this room, two large cobwebs adorn the walls. You gulp. Cobwebs mean spiders. But you don't see any right away.  
          A sign sits in the center, seemingly in front of the webs. Its written in ornate script. You appreciate the writing for a moment - the beautiful curves and curls fill your mind with images of vines and flowers. You think of an old house covered in ivy and how peaceful it would be. It might be next to a brook where frogs nest in the spring...frog...spider...oh wait a second.  
          You snap back to the present and actually read what the sign says:  
          "Spider bake sale! All proceeds go to real spiders."  
          Your eyes grow wide. Spiders! Why does it have to be spiders! You feel the color drain from your face. No spiders. Please no spiders.  
          But there are still no spiders around right now. You try to relax, but just thinking of spiders makes your blood run cold. You don't want to support something that could kill you.  
          The smell of baked goods is the only thing that is keeping you here. You spot a small post-it note attached to one of the cobwebs. You can read it from here: "Please leave some money here for a baked treat."  
          There was no way you were going to do that! You turn to run, but trip on your own feet as you turn. Everything is in slow motion as you fall to the ground in a panic. You hear the jingle of coins in your pocket as if they answered the sign themselves. You ignore it and try to stand up, but get caught in a web. The silk is unusually strong. You are in full panic mode as your struggle to escape.  
          Something causes you to freeze as if you'd been escased in ice. As you watch, paralyzed, a small spider crawls down the web you are trapped in and takes the coins that seem to have jumped into its web on their own. You feel as if you might faint. The spider crawls back up and nods quietly in thanks. Then, crawls back down to your open pocket and deposits a single donut into your pocket.  
          You scream.  
          The spider doesn't seem to mind. It takes your coins and dissappears back into the wall where it came from.  
          The web seems to have released you, and you fall to the floor. The donut rolls across the ground and stops in front of the room entrance. You can't feel your arms.  
          As your gain your senses back, the room stops spinning. The smell of baked goods still lingers in the air. You wonder how the spider got the donut out of the wall behind it.  
          You try to stand up. You are still a little shaky, but manage to make your way over to the dropped donut. You hold it in your hand. It's about the size of a checker piece. You are unsure if you should eat it. You don't feel hungry right now.  
          You remind yourself that Toriel is waiting for you. You swallow, and put the donut in your pocket again. Your turn back to the web and your feet seem to carry you away from the room before you tell them to.  
          But, before you can really start to relax, a pair of monsters notices you.  
          You feel as if you will cry, watching your heart-shaped soul ascend out of your body once more. You wonder if this is really necessary. Your body feels so weary and you just want to go home. But the monsters refuse to move.  
          One appears to be some sort of Jello creature. It looks as if it was just made. The other seems to be some kind of angry cockroach.  
          Something tells you the Jello doesn't want to fight. You tell it that you won't hurt it and it seems pleased, sliding away with a strange happy "glorp." As the Jello leaves, the angry cockroach brightens a little. It seems it just doesn't like to reveal its true feelings when around other monsters. What a strange attitude for a monster to have. But you suppose people can be like this, too.  
          The cockroach begins to dance. It seems rather happy. You watch it dance for a bit, then tell it that you won't hurt it. This seems to please this monster a well, and it waves goodbye to you as your soul returns to your body.  
          You raise an eyebrow, confused at the strange "fight." But you are just glad that it's over.  
          As you move to the next room, a large plaque reads "There is just one switch." The floor here is cracked as well. You remember, fearfully, your last encounter with cracked floors. You avoid the most cracked tiles as you make your way to the other side of the room. But, you realize, you can't go any farther. Some familiar-looking, and very large, spikes block off your exit.  
          Falling through the floor last time actually helped you out. But you really didn't want to relieve that traumatic experience. You decide to be a bit more cautious this time and approach one tile that looks as if it is ready to fall apart. Outstretching your leg, you press very gently on it. It gives way with a crumbling sound and you see the floor below the tile.  
          As you peer into the hole, you see a switch attached to the wall. It reminds you of the switches Toriel first showed you. The plaque did say there was just one switch.  
          There is only one solution. You press your arms to your chest, squeeze your eyes shut, and jump.


	9. Chapter 9

          You feel like you are falling forever. You want to open your eyes to make sure you hadn't fallen into some alternate dimensional void, but before you can, you hear the crunch of leaves, letting you know you've hit the floor below. You expected to land on your feet, but were glad that you hadn't.  
          You sit up and look around. The switch is on the wall next to you. Simple enough. You grab the switch and try to pull it down. It's a little stiff, so it takes a bit of effort.  
          A sound behind you makes you jump. You turn to see a figure covered in a white bed sheet. You sigh in relief as you realize it's that ghost from before.  
          "Oh. I didn't think anyone would be here either," he says. "I was walking along and fell in this hole. Now I' not sure if I can get up."  
          You tell him that you thought ghosts were able to fly.  
          "Oh." He seems to have forgotten this. But before you can say anything else, it disappears into a vent in the wall near the switch.  
          You had wanted to say something to him, but realize it's too late now. The vent is similar to the one in the first room with the holes, so you decide it is probably safe to enter. The familiar sweeping effect still makes you uneasy, but you soon find yourself back in the upper room, the spikes now retracted, much to your relief.  
          You sigh as you enter the following room. It is filled with several large pillars and some strange looking buttons on the floor. There are still puzzles that need solving. You wish this would be over soon. You were concerned about Toriel and this worry did not fill you with determination at all.  
          The switches were easy to press. You just stepped on them as you walked by, but they didn't seem to do anything. The thing that intrigues you the most, though, is their bright colors. In comparison to the violet (and repetitive) walls, these buttons are very vibrantly colored. There was a red one, a blue one, and a green one. But there are more than just the three. Throughout the room, more red, green, and blue buttons are scattered around. But, the room seems to be divided into sections as well. A large archway seems to act as a border between three sections.  
          A sign on the wall, presumably left by Toriel, reads "Press the blue switch."  
          You know that you did already. But nothing seems to have happened. You then realize that she could have meant the second blue switch. You make your way over to one right against a pillar in the second section and step on it.  
          A loud grating sound in the distance sent shivers down your spine. But the sound could only mean more spikes being retracted. You turn to see the second archway, now open for entry. Your frown, hoping there is no more ahead of this.  
          But lo and behold, one more sign instructs you to "press the red switch." If its anything like the other room, it must not mean the one you can see right in front of you. You grimace, hoping nothing jumps out at you as you peer around the pillars. Much to your relief, another red switch hide behind a pillar. Pressing it opens the final exit. If there is another puzzle after this, you felt you might scream.  
          After a short hallway, you find yourself in a dead-ended room. Or rather, it felt more like a porch, because as you looked on, you could see a collection of buildings. They all seemed empty, though. How long had they been abandoned? You scratch your head in wonder. What was this world?  
          Your eyes wander over the porch until they fall on a strange shape on the floor. As you draw closer, you realize it's a very dirty plastic knife. It looks like it was used by a child. You decide picking it up is probably not a good idea. It is so dirty; it looks like it's been kicked around by various people (or possibly monsters). How many hands have touched this toy before your eyes fell on it. You make a gagging sound and turn back toward the door.  
          As you leave, though, you turn back to look at the toy knife once more. Then shake your head, pushing the thought of using it in defense from your mind. Toriel said there was no reason to attack anyone here. You hadn't even needed to do so since she left, so there was no reason to carry a weapon. But you couldn't help thinking it may have been a good idea to pick it up.  
          But the germs were an excellent deterrent.  
          As you turn the corner, you freeze at the sight of a tree. It looked like a normal tree, but something about it gave you the creeps. Leaves are scattered around the base as if it can't hold a leaf to save its life. You clench your jaw nervously as you look up and down the trunk of the tree. You wonder if the tree has a disease of some sort.  
          You approach the tree, hoping to find some clues. But before you can begin your investigation, a familiar voice makes you freeze.  
          "Oh dear. That took longer than I thought it would."  
          You gasp and rush around the side of the tree.  
          "Oh!" It's Toriel! You grin and wave furiously as the goat-woman paces toward you. "Child! How did you get here?"  
          You can think of nothing else than to give her a huge hug. She seems very surprised by your action, but wraps her own arms around you. "Did you miss me that much?"  
          You feel yourself start to cry. You try to say that you were so scared and you wished she wouldn't have left you alone. Your words are jumbled and hard to understand, but she nods anyway. You tell her that there were frogs and bugs and Jello, and that spiders were selling things. You tell her about holes you fell into and buttons, and ghosts. You cry and sob and cry some more, and all she can think to do it continue to hug you. You tell her you want to go home. You tell her you hate this place. You cry and cry and cry.  
          "Come with me, Little One," she says, taking your hand once again. You wipe your nose with your sleeve, leaving a large wet spot. You cry some more, realizing you made a mess of your shirt. She smiles and leads you forward to a small house nestled right into the walls of the ruins. "Let me get you some tea."


	10. Chapter 10

          The smell of something delicious reaches your nose as you enter the house. Your eyes are still puffy from crying, but the smell brings a smile to your face. It is the scent of butterscotch and cinnamon.  
          Toriel smiles and turns to you. "Do you smell that?"  
          You nod, wiping your eyes.  
          "Surprise! I made you a cinnamon butterscotch pie!" She kneels down in front of you and hugs you gently as you continue to wipe your eyes. You feel yourself giggle. You feel very relieved to be with someone at least slightly familiar.   
          She stands up again and squeezes your hand. "I thought the pie would be a nice way to celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here."  
          Living here? You frown, confused. But Toriel seems to not notice.  
          "Here, I have another surprise for you!" she says, leading you down the hall to the right. She stops in front of a door and turns to you. "This is it! A room of your own. I hope you like it!" She pats your head gently, but you cannot shake the uneasy feeling you have. But before you can question her, she races down the hall, twittering about something burning.  
          You stare at the door, unsure of whether to enter. There are a few more doors down the hallway, presumably other bedrooms. Gulping, you carefully turn the nob. You can't shake the feeling that Toriel is some kind of crazy child hoarder.  
          But inside is a very neatly decorated room. Everything is a shade of orange. You aren't sure how you feel about this, but the room seems pleasant enough. There is a pair of stuffed animals next to the bed. They seem very huggable. You pick one up and do just that. It feels warm and welcoming.  
          Sitting on the bed with the stuffie, you spot a book on the floor. It's titled "History of Home." You find it a very strange title, but decide to take a look.  
          Turning to a random page you read the first few paragraphs:  
           _Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked until we reached the cavern's end. This was out new home, which we named..."Home." As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.  
_           You blink a few times, rereading what you read a few times. It stunned you to find out that monsters had been here for a long time. Humans had chased them down here? What's this about a barrier? Is that why monsters attack you? Toriel did say that they would because you are a human. But is  _this_ why? Did they hate you because you are human? So many questions with no answers.  
          Your thoughts brought you back to the present situation. Toriel seemed convinced that you would be pleased to live down here with her. As kind as she had been, you hadn't planned to do that. You had a home to return to. You stand up and place the stuffie on the bed next to the book and carefully close the door behind you. Something told you that you might have to make your own escape plans.  
          But curiosity pulls you toward the other rooms. One is owned by Toriel, of course. You peek in and see a journal on the desk. It seems to have a few lines circled in red. They appear to be...jokes? You read one to yourself and chuckle in spite of yourself. Then you frown, remembering the situation.  
          You had to speak to Toriel. She had gone toward the other end of the house. You wonder if that is where the kitchen is. She did say she had a pie.  
          As you made your way to the other side of the house, the scent of the pie grew stronger. You see Toriel sitting next to a roaring fireplace. She seems to be reading something. A small pair of reading glasses rests on her snout. You find it very cute and smile slightly as you approach her.  
          She spots you and puts down her book with a smile.  
          "Um, I wanted you to know how glad I am to have you here," she says. "I have so many old books I want to share with you! I also want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot and prepared a curriculum for your education." She rambles on, but you decide to wait patiently. "This may come as a surprise to you, but I've always wanted to be a teacher." She finally notices that you want to speak to her and clears her throat. "Oh! Sorry, Little One. Did you need something?"  
          You tell her that you'd like to go home.  
          She seems very surprised. "What? Why, this  _is_ your home now." She quickly tries to change the subject. "Uhm, would you like to hear about this book I'm reading? It's called  _72 Uses for Snails._  How about it?"  
          You insist that you need to leave the ruins. This cannot be your home. You  _have_ a home. You feel ignored and hurt and feel like crying.  
          "Did you know that snails flip their digestive systems as they mature?"  
          She completely ignores you. You begin to cry. You want to go home. You didn't want to be here in the first place! You can't stop the tears now. She looks very uncomfortable.  
          "Um, excuse me. I have to do something. Please wait here."  
          Without warning, she stands up and leaves the room.  
          You don't know what to do now. You wipe your eyes, but the tears still come. You feel ignored, alone, and lost. The one person you thought you could trust seems to be convinced that you don't want to go home. Or rather, has other plans. Your mind wanders back to the idea that she is a child hoarder and you feel very trapped. What did she do with the other children?  
          You don't know what to do. Where did she go? You gulp back more tears, trying to see clearly. You recall a set of stairs near the entrance of the house. If she wasn't going to let you out, you will find your own way out. You remember that feeling that kept you going when you were alone in the ruins.  
          Determination.  
          You try to look for that feeling in yourself and find just a tiny bit left. You use that to help you focus. It is time to find out was is really going on here, even if it means going alone into the unknown.


	11. Chapter 11

          You tell yourself you would be okay. You tell yourself this was the right thing to do. You feel bad for leaving Toriel behind, but you can't stay here. No one would ever accept you. You are a human among monsters. Or, as they might see it, a monster among humans.  
          As you make your way down the stairs, you feel your determination growing. You step carefully, hoping to not make too much noise. You freeze as you spot Toriel ahead of you. You hadn't expected to see her down here.  
          She seems to sense you coming, because she begins to speak as you approach.  
          "You wish to know how to return 'home,' do you not?"  
          You nod silently and wring your hands. She turns to you and looks at you calmly.  
          "Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins; a one-way exit to the rest of the underground." Her face turns serious. "But, I am going to destroy it." Her brow furrows. "No one will be able to leave ever again."  
          You feel a sudden rush of anxiety. You tell her that you can't stop someone from leaving, that something like that is....  
          "Crazy?" she says, filling in your missing word. She looks away. "If you only knew. Now be a good child and go upstairs."  
          She turns quickly and continues down the hall. You gulp, and follow closely behind her. She begins to speak further, though you don't know if its to you or to herself.  
          "Every human that falls down here meets with the same fate. I have seen it again and again." She speeds up her pace and you have to jog to keep up. "They come, they leave, they die." She turns to you, her face full of concern. You almost crash into her at her sudden halt. "You naive child. If you leave the ruins...they... _Asgore_...they will kill you."  
          They way she says the new and unfamiliar name makes you uneasy. Without waiting for your reply, she continues down to hall. Asgore or not, you want to get out of here, but she is starting to scare you. You gulp back tears of fear, but your lower jaw is starting to quivver. You aren't completely sure what to do, so you just continue to follow her.  
          "I am only protecting you," she shouts down the hall. "Do you understand?"  
          You tell her that protecting you wouldn't involve hiding things.  
          This seems to unnverve her. She pauses in her stride. Then, she shakes her head and continues at a slower pace.   
          "Go to your room."  
          The words send shivers up your spine. You can feel more tears now. You don't know if they are tears of fear, or tears of sadness for Toriel. At this point, everything is too jumbled to know what you feel. But, you set your jaw and continue to follow her.  
          "Do not try to stop me," she warns. Her voice echoes off the walls ominously. "This is your final warning."  
          You try to tell her she doesn't need to go to such lengths. She ignores you, stopping at a large violet-colored door. The door is only slightly taller than her, and is decorated with a strange rune. She puts her hand on the door for a moment, then turns to you.  
          "You are  _just_ like the others," she says with a note of poison.   
          You sniff softly and wipe your eyes. You see her flinch as she holds back her own motherly urges to console you.   
          Her eyes grow serious, almost like fire. "There is only  _one_ solution to this. Prove yourself.  _Prove_ to me that you are strong enough to survive."  
          You know what is coming. Your eyes grow wide and you shake your head. You put up your hands, trying to stop her.  
          But, it's already too late. Your soul-heart rips itself from your chest. You gasp out of instinct. You remind yourself that it doesn't actually hurt, but with your soul exposed, you feel completly naked.  
          You plead with Toriel. You tell her you don't want to fight her.  
          She doesn't seem to care. She says a few words you don't recognize, and a small ball of flame appears in her hand.  
          " _Prove_ yourself!" she demands.  
          You try to tell her you don't want to fight again, but she refuses to listen. She growls and throws the fire directly at your soul-heart.  
          You shout at it, and it moves away just in time. You begin to cry, wishing she would just let you pass. You tell her that she is better than this/  
          You see her flinch again. "Stop," she says quietly. "I'm just trying to protect you."  
          She launches another ball of fire at you, but your soul doesn't move fast enough. You shout as the fiery pain rushes through you.  
          Her face breaks. She wants to come help you, but she knows what she must do.  
          "Can a  _weak_ human like you survive anywhere?" she growls.  
          You stand up straight and look at her in the eyes and tell her that she is better than this. She doesn't have to fight. You don't want to fight her and she even taught you that fighting is not the solution. You wipe your eyes, but continue.   
          You tell her that she helped you when you were hurt. She protected you when the flower attacked you. She lead you through the ruins and even surprised you with a pie. Yeah, she messed up some, but so did you. You tell her you didn't care what she did, you would  _not_ fight her.  
          She stops conjuring fireballs. The small circle of them that she had summoned no disappear into oblivion.  
          "You're...you're right," she says, putting her arms down.  
          You tell her that you aren't strong. You tell her you don't know anything about the ruins or anywhere past it. But you also tell her that getting home is important to you, even if you are a huge crybaby.  
          She watches you for a second in silence, then looks down in shame.  
          You just burst into tears.  
          "Oh, Little One!" she exclaims. You sob loudly and race over to give her a hug. "Little One, you will be fine. You are strong enough for anything," she adds, rubbing your back as you cry into her shoulder.


	12. Chapter 12

          Toriel looks at you as you wipe your tears. She seems conflicted, as if she wants to tell you something. You ask her what is wrong.  
          "Child, you do not have to go," she says. "I know we don't have much, but...you can...you can have have a good life here."  
          You wipe your face with your sleeve. You are unsure of what to say.  
          "Why are you...making this so difficult?" she asks, sadness in her voice.  
          You sniff and look at your feet.  
          "You are strong."  
          You feel more tears coming. You hug her tightly. You tell her that she is a very good person and that she should never change.  
          Her eyes get misty as well. "Child, then if you really want to leave, I have just one request of you."  
          You sniffle and ask her what it is.  
          "Please, when you leave," she pauses, trying to hold back her own tears. "Please don't ever come back."  
          The words shock you. You try to tell her that you want to come back. You stammer a few sentences about how she is like a mother. Your own mother...you didn't want to talk about her. You beg Toriel to reconsider.  
          "I hope you understand."  
          You insist that you don't! You ask her why she is acting this way. You wish  _she_ would understand.  
          "Little One, I c-cannot talk about this. Please. Go. You will be fine."  
          You try to speak, but can only cry. As she paces back down the hall, leaving the door ahead of you unlocked, you feel utterly alone. You turn and watch her go. She doesn't even look back. Your stomach hurts. You want to run back and tell her you changed your mind. You sit at the door and cry.  
          After a few minutes, your tears seem to have stopped. You feel very thirsty. You think again about Toriel. You wonder if this was the right thing to do.  
          The door looms in front of you. You gulp back further tears, thinking of how alone you are. You wish Toriel was here to hold your hand. You are torn. Do you continue forward? You look back down the hall which Toriel left by.  
          Then the thought of what might come next seemed to edge you forward. You push the door and it swings silently outward. With what tiny determination you still had, you step forward. A voice in your head tells you this is the right thing to do.  
          You send a silent prayer to whatever gods there are in the universe and ask that you will see Toriel again.  
          The hall is dark at first, but as you continue, seems to get brighter. The light outside must be coming in through the exit.  
          But, at the end of the hallway, something causes you to freeze.  
           _The Flower_. You gasp and turn to go back, but it speaks. You can't move, frozen by fear.  
          "Clever. Very Clever."  
          You slowly turn toward it. It continues.  
          "You think you're really smart, don't you?"  
          The flower sneers at you. You back up a few steps and shield your face.  
          "Oh, don't worry. I, Flowey, will spare you think time. But don't expect to be able to play by your own rules forever. In this world, it's kill or be killed."  
          You tell Flowey it's not like that.  
          He laughs. "You spared the life of a single person. I bet you feel  _really_ great. But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?"  
          You bite your lip. You try to say that people don't have to be violent, but Flowey interuppts you.  
          "That's right. You'll die. You'll die, and you'll die, and you'll _die_! What will you do  _then_?" his face begins to distort into something evil. Fangs grow from his mouth. You fall backwards and begin to panic. Slowly, the flower begins to grow. His dark laughter fills your head with imagines of death. You scream and put your hands over your ears.  
          "Wh̵a̴t͠ wi͜l̛l ͡yo̢u ̛do͝ ̸w͠hęn ̕y͠ou ̡m̵eet͞ ҉a͢ ki͜ll͝er̕?́" he says, laughing. "W̛ill ͜y̴oú k̛il͟l out͟ òf͞ ͢f̶ru̸stŕa̧ti̸òn͏? Wil̕l ͘y̨o͡u̶ ͏giv̶e̸ up͠ e̵nti̛re҉ly͏ ̷on̸ ̨t҉hi̧s ̧w͏òr̕ld́ a̡nd ̕le̛t ME in҉hér̀it̀ ̵t͟he̴ ̵p̸owe͜r͡ t̴o ̸con͟trol ͜it̸?͡"  
          The flower is now a monstrous size. You scream again and kick with a leg. Somehow you manage to make contact with Flowey's face and it flinches, stunned.  
          Slowly, he begins to shrink back to normal size, a boot print now displayed prominantly in between his eyes.  
          But, he recovers quickly, laughing maniacally. "This will be i͜nte͠re̵sti̢ng!"  
          Without another word, he slips back underground, the sound of his laughter still echoing off the walls. You squeeze you slowly open your eyes and remove your hands from your ears. All is silent, now. The only thing that lies ahead is another archway, like the one you saw when you first entered the ruins. Setting your jaw, you know there is only one way to go. You try to forget the flower, but his image is still emblazoned in your mind's eye.  
          If anyone deserves a kick, you are glad it was to that flower.


	13. Chapter 13

          You emerge from the ruins and find yourself in a forest of some sort. Tall and dark trees line the road in front of you. They almost seem unreal, as if they were put there to give the illusion of trees. They are so thick that you cannot see into them. But the road ahead is clear.  
          There is snow covering the ground. You wonder where it came from. There is no way to slow here - the ceiling is closed off.  
          You sniff the air; it smells like snow. Did the monsters carry this snow all the way over here? You try to wrap your mind around the origin of the snow. Your head starts to hurt and you decide it's better to just move on. You frown and put a hand on your head.  
          The snow seems fresh. It crunches under your shoes. You hope nothing jumps out at you, but you felt this was basically asking for it to happen. You try to think of something else.  
          You come across a small bridge with something that looks like a gate across it. It's not a well-made gate. You seem to be able to walk right through. But, as you go to walk under the poorly constructed construction, a sound behind you makes you jump.  
          You turn to see what it is, squeaking in fright. But there is no one there.  
          You start to feel uneasy, but you take another step onto the bridge.  
          A soft rustle makes you nearly jump out of your skin. You turn very slowly, hoping it's not someone, or something, that will eat you alive.  
          You gulp as a shadowy figure emerges from the trees. You try to appear threatening, setting your jaw and frowning as loudly as you can. The figure draws closer and you can hear your heartbeat in your ears.  
          You shout at the figure, but it keeps moving closer! You tell it to go away. You will attack it if it gets closer.  
          The figure stops in front of you and seems to extend a hand. You shrink back, expecting an attack. But the figure just waits. It seems to be asking for a handshake. You take another step back, but the figure grabs your hand. You tense and the figure comes into the light, shaking your hand, and you see what it really is.  
           _A skeleton._  
          You scream! You scream as loud as you can for as long as you can! You try to run, but trip as you cross the bridge. The skeleton comes closer, but your body won't move. You keep screaming! The skeleton is going to attack you! It's already dead, so it probably wants a new body! You scream until you run out of breath and then you cry. You cry and yell and cry. The skeleton is now on top of you! You panic and try to become as small as you can. You didn't want to die this way! You don't want to die!  
          You can only see a blur on a skull void of skin. It's hard to see through your tears. You feel yourself rocking back and forth on reflex, a habit you developed when you were younger to help you deal with anxiety. You hide your face in your knees, praying the skeleton will go away.  
          But, the skeleton has stopped moving. It's looking at you with great concern.  
          "Hey, kid, are you...okay?"  
          You are confused, because you thought you would be dead by now. You think you hear the skeleton speak. It's voice isn't scary. It seems rather friendly. You look up at it and scoot back a bit against the gate on the bridge.  
          You try to speak, but you can only cry. You point at the skeleton and continue to cry. You do not want to be here.  
          "Hey, buddy, calm down. I'm not here to hurt you."  
          You blink a few times, the tears slowing. The skeleton's hand is extended, presumably this time to offer some assistance. You look at the hand, then back at the skeleton's face.  
          "Alright, I admit, that wasn't the best way to greet someone," the skeleton says, rubbing the back of its neck. "Let me try again. The name's Sans." He extends a hand again to offer some help. You reluctantly take his hand and carefully stand up.  
          A soft farting noise emanates from his hand and he giggles.  
          "Sorry, couldn't resist. The old whoopee cushion in the hand..."  
          You feel yourself chuckle in spite of yourself. You wipe your eyes, feeling embarrassed. You apologize for how you acted and shuffle your feet.  
          "Hey, kid, that's ok. I suppose it was a bit of a shock, eh? Sorry about that. Anyway, you're a human, right?"  
          You nod silently.  
          "That's hilarious. I'm supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but...I don't really care about capturing anybody."  
          You feel a little relieved, but you still can't look at Sans. You are still a bit uneasy about talking to a skeleton.  
          "Now, my  _brother_ , he's a human-hunting fanatic. I think he's on his way here right now to check up on me."  
          Your face turns pale. You tell Sans you don't want to get captured! You just want to get home.  
          "I have an idea, then," he says.  
          He grabs your wrist and races forward until he stops at a small outpost building in a clearing. It's not far from the bridge, but your face is freezing now and you are out of breath.  
          "Quick! Get behind that conveniently-shaped lamp."  
          You look around, wondering what Sans means. He points to a strange lamp sitting on the ground in front of the outpost. You look at Sans with so many questions in your eyes, but he shakes his head and winks at you. You can only do as he suggests and hide behind the lamp. It is very conveniently-shaped as it hides your entire body exactly somehow.  
          You hear footsteps coming closer. This must be Sans' brother. You are unsure of what to expect, but when another skeleton arrives, you put your hands over your mouth. If you didn't, you know you would scream even louder than when you met Sans.  
          You didn't know how much longer you could take this! Talking frogs, goat ladies that threw fire, and flowers that wanted to murder you were enough. But now, human-hunting talking skeletons? You feel like throwing up. Only pure willpower keeps you where you are as the new skeleton approaches.  
          "'Sup, bro?" you hear Sans say.  
          "You know what's 'sup,' brother!" The other skeleton's voice is more nasally and high-pitched. Compared to Sans' deeper, calming voice, this one feels like someone using a cheese grater on your ear drum. "It's been eight days and you still haven't  _recalibrated your puzzles_! You just hang around outside your station! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN  _DOING_?"  
          "Starin' at this lamp. It's really cool. Wanna look?"  
          You feel a chill run down your spine. Would Sans really betray you like that? Was that his intention all along? You clinch your jaw and try not to breathe.  
          "NO! I don't have  _time_ for that! What if a  _human_ come through here? I want to be READY!"  
          He begins to stomp in the snow. You peer around the lamp to try and get a better view. The other skeleton seems very angry. You pray to whatever god is out there that this skeleton never finds you. You squeeze your eyes shut and slide down the lamp until you are sitting in the cold snow. Your butt is becoming very cold but all you can think about is becoming invisible.  
          "I will be the one! I  _must_ be the one! I will capture a HUMAN! Then, I, the great Papyrus, will get everything I utterly deserve!"  
          You try to listen, hoping to gather some kind of information, but your anxiety is too great. You hear something about the Royal Guard, but then he says something you don't expect.  
          "Then people will ask to be my  _friend_."  
          For some reason, this snaps you out of your trance. You peer around the side of the lamp. Papyrus is posing heroically, as if this will improve his chances of being in said Royal Guard.  
          "I will bathe in a shower of kisses every morning!"  
          Sans, finally seeming to find an opening to speak, makes a suggestion.  
          "Hmmm...maybe this lamp will help you."  
          You freeze. You want to hiss at Sans, but what he says strikes you as strange. Does he mean he want's  _you_ to help Papyrus into the Royal Guard? How are you supposed to do  _that_?  
          But Papyrus seems not to notice. "Sans! You are not helping!" He stamps in the snow angrily. "You lazybones! All you do is sit and boondoggle!" You turns to Sans and shouts. "You get lazier every day!"  
          "Hey! Take it easy," Sans replies with a sparkle in his eye. "I've done a  _ton_ of work today. A skele- _ton_."  
          "Sans!"  
          "Come on, you're smiling."  
          "I am and I  _hate_ it!" He sighs loudly. "Why does someone as great as  _me_ have to do so much to get some  _recognition_?"  
          "Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself..."  
          Papyrus shoots Sans a piercing glare.  
          "...down to the bone."  
          "UHG!" Papyrus cannot take anymore. "I will attend to my puzzles! As for your work..." He pauses. "Put a little more  _backbone_ into it!" With that, he dissappears down the road laughing a strange laugh you don't think you have ever heard before. "Nyehehehehe!"  
          "Okay, you can come out, now," Sans says.  
          You feel all the tension you've held for the last few minutes spill out like a tsunami. You feel yourself falling over into the snow. You don't want to move. Sans approaches you and looks down, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He winks at you, and offers a hand.  
          You look up at the hand. It really is a skeleton hand. Gulping, you take it and slowly stand up and wipe yourself off. You feel very cold from the snow and shiver a little.  
          "Hey, you better get going," he suggests. "My brother might come back. If he does, you might have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."  
          You find yourself giggling. Sans seems pleased.


	14. Chapter 14

           As you turn to leave, Sans stops you for a moment.  
           "Hey, sorry to bother you, but my bro's been feeling a little down lately. Can you do me a favor?"  
           You are apprehensive about the request, but you nod. He did just save you from being captured.  
           "He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day."  
           You gulp. You don't want to be captured. You express this to Sans.  
           "Don't worry. He's not dangerous, even if he tries to be."  
           You nod, indicating you will do as he requests.  
           Sans smiles. "Thanks a million. I'll be up ahead."  
           You expect him to walk by you, but instead he walks back the way he came. You open your mouth to speak and ask him what he's doing, but he's gone before you can say anything.  
           You stand still for a few moments pondering how he could possibly be ahead of you when he walked back the other way. He seems like a very strange individual. The fact that he is a skeleton still makes you uneasy, but he seems like a very nice person. You try not to think about his skeleton-ness as you continue forward.   
           You have a strange feeling you are being watched as you continue, but there is no one around. You try to relax, thinking it may just be paranoia.  
           You freeze, hearing a twig crack. You turn to see what it is, but no one is there. You try to push forward, but for some reason, you can't shake that feeling. You turn around once again and spot something that makes your blood run cold - a yellow flower petal.  
           The petal itself is nothing to worry about. But that petal could belong to  _that_ flower. Had that flower followed you all the way over here? There was no way, right?  
           You know there was nothing to do but continue forward. That flower is just a flower after all. You clench your jaw and pray that nothing attacks you. You don't think you could handle another soul-ripping experience.  
           The sight of a shining stone reminds you what you are doing this for. You find it strange that there are very similar shining stones around the underground. But, they always seem to refuel you and remind you to be determined. You pick it up and put it in your pocket. You might need reminding in the future.  
           A split in the path ahead causes you to pause. You aren't sure which way to go, but before you can decide, a strange creature appears out of nowhere and races toward you.  
           "I am Snow Drake! Listen to my hilarious jokes!" he demands.  
           You watch in dismay as your soul-heart rips itself from your chest. You grimace, hoping this fight won't last very long.  
           "Now, you should 'chill' out!" he says, spewing strange crescents from its mouth. You pull back and hope your soul doesn't take any damage. You recall the pain Toriel cause from just a single attack. Luckily, you manage to direct your soul out of the way.  
           You had to get out of this fight fast. He did say something about listening to hilarious jokes. Maybe he just wanted to be appreciated. You decide to try to do so. You manage a semi-convincing laugh in response to his awful pun.  
           This seems to please him.  
           "See? My jokes are great! Dad will be so proud!"  
           You sigh in relief and tell him that he is free to go. He jumps up and down happily and dashes off as your soul returns to your body. You are glad the fight is over.  
           You look around, hoping no one else will come to attack you. As you venture the forward path, the feeling of someone following you begins to fade. Maybe you were mistaken about the flower.  
           The path ahead greets you with nothing but snow. Snow and trees. Snow and trees and...skeletons? You spot the two brothers just ahead. You are aprehensive about Papyrus. You don't know anything about him. You realize you don't know anything about Sans either. Are they really safe? Can you trust them? What if they try to hurt you? They  _were_ monsters after all.   
           You gulp, knowing you have to continue forward either way. As you draw closer, you hear them talking.  
           "So, as I was saying about Undyne..."  
           You wonder who Undyne is. You hope they aren't as scary as these skeletons. You realize Papyrus has stopped speaking. Both of them are staring at you. You frown and step back.  
           " _Oh my god_ , Sans. Is  _that_ a human?"  
           "Uh, actually, I think that's a rock."  
           You are confused. How are you a rock? Then you realize there's a rock next to you. You facepalm and shake your head.  
           "But, hey. What's that in front of the rock?"  
           "Is  _that_ a human?" Papyrus whispers to his brother.  
           "Yes," Sans whispers back.  
           You are not sure what to make of these two. The bad jokes are groan-worthy. On the upside, you are feeling quite a bit more relaxed with the pair.  
           "Sans! I finally did it!" Papyrus is very excited now. "Undyne will...I'm gonna...I'll be so..."  
           "Yes?"  
           "I'll be so popular! Popular! Popular!" He seems to be screeching now, almost as if you are a celebrity. He turns to you and becomes more serious. "Human! You shall not pass this area! I, the great Papyrus, will stop you!" He makes a fist and waves it at you. "I will capture you! You will be delivered to the capital! Then...then...!" He pauses. "...well, I'm not sure what will happen next. In any case, continue, only if  _you dare_! Nyeyehehehe!" He races down the path out of view.  
           With no other choice, you take a step forward. Sans watches you, still grinning.   
           "Well, that went well. Don't worry, kid. I'll keep an eye socket out for you." And with that, Sans makes his way down the path after his brother.  
           You gulp and rub the stone in your pocket. You tell yourself you can do this. What they have in store can't be that bad. Sans said he would keep you safe.


	15. Chapter 15

          With Papyrus' words ringing in your head, you carefully walk along the path. You try to ignore the feeling that some monster might jump out at you at any second. You would like to get someplace warm; you aren't sure how much longer you can take the cold.  
          A strange monster with a large hat jumps out at you. At first you don't see it, but pause as your soul seems to leak out of you. You grumble in frustration and turn to see the strange creature. It says something about its hat.  
          You shivver and ignore it. This seems to really anger the monster. You try to continue, but as you move away from your floating soul, you become very uneasy. Perhaps leaving it in the open is not a good idea.  
          The monster is annoyed. It seems that it wants you to pay attention. Seemingly to get you to do so, it shoots strange spiked objects at your soul. You are tired. You don't have time for this. You easily guide your soul away from the attacks.  
          The monster seems pleased. You tell the it to go away.  
          "You're just jealous of my hat!" it says.  
          You grumble and sit down, wishing you could just move on.  
          The monster is getting angry. It seems to be working. You are surprised, and decide to continue ignoring it.  
          "Hello, my  _hats up here_!"  
          You snicker a little and continue to ignore it.  
          "I can't believe you! I'm going somewhere else!"  
          Much to your delight, the monster leaves and your soul returns to your body.  
          Sighing, you are glad to be able to move onward. There is no wind, but that doesn't help reduce the cold. You wonder if monsters are affected by the cold as much. You rub your shoulders hoping to stave off the bite. The monsters are very strange here. But you suppose that makes it somewhat interesting.  
          Not that you necessarily want interesting. Right now the only thing you can think of is a warm blanket and some hot chocolate.  
          You pass by a strange building that appears to be made of a cardboard box. A sign on it says "WELL CRAFTED SENTRY STATION." You groan and move on. It must have been made by that loud skeleton. You begin to wonder if there's any end to the snow (or to the rediculous things you've encountered thus far.)  
          As you enter another clearing, a large sign reads "Absolutley no MOVING!!!" You freeze, unsure of what the sign means. You look around, but see nothing. You decide it's a silly sign and continue onward anyway. As you pass another slightly better built sentry station, a strange dog creature peeks up over the desk.  
          "Did something move?" he says.  
          You freeze. The sign really did mean what it said! You begin to panic, but try to not move at the same time, which is actually very difficult.  
          "I can only see moving things," the dog continues. You can't tell if he's talking to himself or to you. "If something  _was_ moving...for example, a human...I'll make sure it  _never_ moves again!"  
          Your face drains of all color. Your soul explode from your body. You know you should be used to this by now, but the idea that your very being is being ejected from your body is simply something you just can't get used to.  
          "I am Doggo," the dog announces. "I'll catch anything that moves!"  
          Now that you finally get a good look at the dog creature, you realize he has two large knives. You step back and fall into the snow, shivering in fear and cold. You try to not move, but the panic is taking over. What are you going to do? If this thing sees you move...!  
          Doggo barks and throws a knife at your exposed soul. You notice that its blue in color, but you aren't sure what significance this has. You cover your face and pray that nothing happens. You whisper a soft prayer to whatever or whoever will listen. You expect a searing pain to rip through your body as the knife comes in contact with your soul.  
          But, nothing happens. After a moment, you look up, expecting to see your soul to be in pieces. But it seems to blue knife hasn't touched it at all.  
          Blue...means...don't move?  
          An option appears before you. You feel that you should give Doggo a pet. That's what all dogs like, right? You gulp and stand up, hoping your movements are slow enough to avoid notice. With a ginger hand, you reach up and pet Doggo on the head.  
          You are surprised by the reaction he gives. It seems to both please him and confuse him quite a bit.  
          "What?! I've been pet?!" He looks around for the source of the affection, but remains confused, as you have stopped moving.   
          You pet him again and he seems to lose his mind. "Pet? Pet! Pot! Pet! Pet? Pet! Pot! Pat? Pet?!"  
          You pet him once more and he cannot take it. He throws his knives in the air and falls over in a drooling mess, still chanting "Pet? Pet! Pat? Pet? Pot! Pet!"  
          You sigh as your soul returns to your body. But, Doggo is still talking.  
          "S-s-something pet me! Something th-that isn't moving! I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!"  
          You aren't sure whether to be concerned or amused. You slowly make your way across the clearing and are only a bit surprised to find a half-smoked dog treat in the snow a few feet from the sentry post.


	16. Chapter 16

          You continue to walk the snow-covered path, passing a sign that reads "East - ice. North - ice. South - ice. West - Snowdin...and ice." You see a strange dog race at you from the north and try to step out of the way, but of course, it is much faster. You groan as your soul-heart is ripped from your chest once more.  
          You feel a bit more confident now that you know you don't have to hurt anyone you fight. You are tired from your travels, but this dog, who stands on its hind legs and holds a sword like a soldier, seems friendly enough. You ask it what it wants, but it just barks happily at you and wags its tail.  
          Confused at the sight of you, though, it throws a blue spear at you. It seems a little nervous, but you remember that blue means to sit still. You will your soul to remain as still as possible, and the spear flies right through it. You breathe a sigh of relief and think for a moment.  
          Dogs like being pet, right? You approach the dog and pet its head.  
          This seems to be exactly what the dog wanted. It pants happily and its neck extends upward to meet your hand. You pet it again, and its neck continues to rise. You are confused, but slightly amused by this strange creature. You decide to give it another pet. Again its neck extends.  
          You look around to check if anyone is watching. You feel a little guilty, but this is too much. You pet the dog again.  
          Once again its neck extends. It doesn't seem to be hurting the dog. It's neck is very tall now and you can't reach its head. You are tempted to keep petting it, but you have to remind yourself of how very tired you are. You tell the dog that you won't hurt it, and it bounds away, its noodle-like neck bouncing.  
          The northern path greets you with a strong bluster. You wrap your arms around yourself, but it does little to stop the cold. You see a snowman that seems lonely. But, it's just a snowman after all. You turn to leave the dead end when you hear a voice.  
          "Hello? Is someone there?"  
          You turn quickly, thinking someone is there, but all you see is the snowman. You shake your head and turn to leave again.  
          "Wait! You! Can you help me?"  
          You turn around again, but no one is there.  
          "Yes, it's me! The snowman!"  
          You turn almost as white as the snow. There's no way a snowman could talk...right?  
          "I want to travel the world, but I cannot move! Please help me."  
          It  _is_ the snowman! You try to relax, knowing this world is strange indeed. A snowman can talk. Yes it is perfectly normal. You gulp and approach the snowman. It seems harmless enough, but you've seen quiet a few "harmless" things since arriving here. You cautiously approach him.  
          "Please, human. I would like to travel the world. Can you take a piece of me with you?"  
          You muster some courage and tell the snowman that the piece might melt since he is made of snow. He seems upset by your answer.  
          "Maybe you are right," he says.  
          You feel bad. You tell the snowman you will try very hard to keep the piece from melting if he still wants to share some of himself. This seems to make the snowman happy. He picks a piece of his hip off and gives it to you. You are surprised to find the piece is not cold, but warm. Warm snow. You wonder if he really is a monster, and now a snowman. You don't ask him this, but instead just put the piece in your pocket.  
          "Thank you, human! Please bring that back to me later!"  
          You admit, it is a strange request. You've never carried a piece of someone around - a literal piece. You wonder if there are other monsters like this one where pieces of themself can be removed and carried the world over.  
          Your musings are broken by the sight of the two skeletons. They are talking with each other.  
          "You're  _so_ lazy!" Papyrus is yelling at his brother. "You were  _napping_ all night!"  
          "I think that's called...sleeping."  
          "Excuses, excuses!"  
          Papyrus stops when he sees you approach.  
          "Oh-ho! The human has arrived!" He points at you. "In order to stop you, my brother and I have created some puzzles! I think you will find this one..." He pauses and raises his eyebrows repeatedly as if the next thing he will say is the most clever of them all. "...quite  _shocking_!" Sans is grinning at his brother as Papyrus continues. "For you see...this is the invisible  _electricity maze_!"  
          In the distance, you swear you can hear a faint  _ba-dum tss_.  
          "When you touch the walls of this maze, this orb will emit a hearty zap!" He holds a small blue orb out in front of him. He seems to have pulled it out of nowhere. "Sound like fun?"  
          You gulp and shake your head. You don't want to deal with this. You are tired and cold!  
          "The amount of fun you will probably have is actually rather small, I think."  
          You stand still for a moment, then decide that there doesn't seem to be any other option. You take a step forward and are surprised to see that Papyrus is being zapped! You step back in surprise.  
          "Sans! What did you  _do_?" Papyrus is very angry. He begins to stomp in the snow.  
          "I think the human has to hold the orb," Sans suggests.  
          "Oh. Okay!"  
          You watch as Papyrus walks across the invisible maze, leaving deep tracks in the snow. He doesn't get zapped at all. You blink, confused why he might reveal the answer to you. Did he mean to do that? You don't say anything as he places the orb on your head and walks the same path back.  
          You take the orb off your head and look at it, then back at Papyrus. He taps his foot impatiently. Sans just smiles, not saying a word.  
          Well, maybe he meant to do it. You take a step into the path he has created. The orb remains silent. You follow the path he has made closely and step out the other side.  
          " _Incredible_! You slippery snail!" Papyrus honestly is surprised you solved it so quickly. You aren't sure how you feel about this person. He is very naive, you think.  
          "The next puzzle will not be so easy! It is designed by my brother, Sans! You will surely be confounded! I know  _I_ am!" With that, he races off, laughing somewhat evilly. You aren't quite sure how evil he is anymore, though.  
          You pass by Sans, but he stops you. He places a hand on your shoulder.  
          "Hey, thanks. It seems like my brother is having fun." You blush a little, as he continues. "You know that weird outfit he's wearing? We bought that a few weeks ago for a costume party. He hasn't worn anything else since."  
          You don't know why, but you find yourself giggling.  
          Sans puts his hand back in his pocket. "Yeah, he calls it his 'battle body.' Man, isn't my brother cool?"  
          You find yourself smiling now. Sans smiles back as well. You decide you like him and hope to see more of him.  
          "Now, get going," he says. "Papyrus has another puzzle for you."


	17. Chapter 17

          You spot a strange-looking man as you continue down the path. He seems to  be standing near a freezer with wheels. It has an umbrella as well and it reminds you of the hotdog vendors from the city. He seems distressed, but you are nervous to approach him. At first you try to walk by, but he spots you and calls out to you. You grimace, but try to put on a polite face despite your fatigue.  
          "Hello!" he calls to you. He seems a little happier now that someone has walked by. You realize he has giant rabbit ears. He isn't a man after all.  
          "A customer!" he says, excitedly. You quietly ask him what he means, and he seems surprised at himself. "My apologies! I'm selling Nice Cream! It's the latest in dessert trends. It's the frozen treat that warms your heart!"  
          You wonder why he is trying to sell ice cream in a snow-covered mountain, but you know how it is for salespeople. It's not an easy job. So you decide to purchase one. You might like it. As he hands you the wrapped treat, you realize you have a pocket full of coins. You aren't sure how it got there, actually. Something tells you it may be from the monsters you spared, but you don't remember them dropping any money. You count out fifteen coins for him and hand them over. He thanks you happily and you put the Nice Cream in your pocket for later. As you are walking away, you pull it out and read the wrapper.  
          It's actually very sweet. It has lots of nice things on it like "You are beautiful today!" and "You're awesome!" You wonder if eating it will make you feel as great.  
          The skeleton brothers greet you as you round the corner. Papyrus seems very excited to present a new puzzle.  
          " _There_ you are!" he shouts. "Human! I hope you are ready for..." he pauses and turns to Sans. "Sans! Where's the puzzle?"  
          "It's right there," he says, pointing to a piece of paper on the ground. "Trust me. There's no way they can get past this one."  
          You raise an eyebrow, but say nothing. As you approach the paper, you can see it's actually a word search that Sans seems to have torn out of a newspaper. It has a cartoon of a large ice cube with a dog's face. The ice cube seems to be asking you to solve the puzzle. You pick it up and look at it for a moment, then sigh. You pace over to Papyrus and hand him the puzzle.  
          The taller skeleton blinks and takes the page. He doesn't know what to say, but as you walk by, he grows angry.  
          "Sans! That didn't do anything!"  
          "Woops. I knew I should have used today's crossword instead."  
          As you continue down the path, you can hear Papyrus arguing about how easy crosswords are. You hear him say something about filling in all the boxes with "z" because of how boring and easy they are.   
          As their voices fade, you spot a strange contraption up ahead. It appears to be a microwave. You are very confused how a microwave has gotten over here, but there is a note of the ground that might explain it.  
          _Human! Please enjoy this spaghetti!_ Of course it's written by Papyrus. _(Little do you know, this is actually a trap designed to entice you! You'll be so busy eating it that...you won't realize you aren't progressing! Throughly japed again by the great Papyrus! Nyehehe!_ _)  
          _You glance toward the table. It does also hold a plate of spaghetti, but the pasta is frozen solid. The microwave, which is presumably to heat up the spaghetti, sits, unplugged. All of its settings are written in as "spaghetti."  
          You sigh. You just want to get some rest. You wonder how long it is until you reach this Snowdin town.  
          The path lets out at a large clearing. A sign next to you seems to be handwritten. You squint to try and make it out.  
           _Warning: Dog Marriage. Yes, you read that right._  
          You rub your eyes, trying to stay awake. But, you know you must continue, so that is exactly what you do.


	18. Chapter 18

          You continue down the path and you pass a pile of snow that you have to stop yourself from jumping into. It is a rather enticing pile. You sigh, thinking of something warm that might be waiting for you when you finally reach this Snowdin place. You begin to hope it's close by.  
          As you turn the corner, you begin to think you can escape without dealing with any of this "dog wedding" business. But, as you are about to cross the bridge, you see two strange dogs approach. They are dressed in dark robes and walk upright like Doggo. But, not like Doggo, the both carry giant, vicious-looking halberds. You feel slightly confident in dealing with strange dogs. This statement sounds strange in your head, and you begin to feel a little nervous.  
          They approach casually, seemingly not seeing you at first. But, as they draw closer, they suddenly stop.  
          "What's that smell?" one says. It sounds like a male.  
          "Where's that smell?" the other says. This one must be female.  
          "If you're a smell..."  
          "...identify your-smell-f!"  
          The dogs begin to sniff around you frantically. They seem to not see you, still. You wonder if they are like Doggo and can only see moving things. You decide to remain as still as you can in hopes that they leave.  
          But, they seem rather persistent. Having not found the source of the smell, they return to near you where the scent is strongest. They see a little angry. You gulp, hoping things go okay.  
          "Where is that weird smell?"  
          "I can't find it either. But it's really close!"  
          "It makes me want to  _eliminate_ it!"  
          The familiar tugging on your chest makes you double over. You know what's coming.  
          The two dogs stand tall and remove their hoods. They have forced you into a fight!  
          "I am Dogamy!" says the male.  
          "I am Dogaressa!" says the female.  
          "Now show your-smell-f!"  
          Your soul-heart floats in front of you. The dog monsters appear to be waiting for you to act. You gulp and try to think of what might make the leave. You reach for the shining stone in your pocket and graps it tightly. You feel your determination returning and some options present themselves.  
          You feel if you roll around in the dirt and snow, your scent might change. As much as you don't want to do so, this seems like a good idea. So, you do just that.  
          The two dogs begin to sniff you again. They look at each other then back at you.  
          "This is a different smell," he says.  
          "This smells like a weird puppy," she observes.  
          Dogamy takes a step back. "Just don't touch my hot dog."  
          "He means me," she adds.  
          Still not convinced, they wave their halberds around. You have to move your soul around quite a bit to avoid the attack. You grit your teeth and endure. When the option for you to act once again is presented, you move closer to the pair so they can sniff you again.  
          Strangely enough, they do just that.  
          "You smell...just like..."  
          "Are you actually a little puppy?"  
          You think for a minute. They  _are_ dogs. Perhaps they would like to be pet? So you do. And they seem both confused  _and_ excited.  
          "What? What is _going on_?"Dogamy exclaims. His eyes widen in shock. "Did I just get petted by  _another dog_?"  
          "Don't leave me out!" Dogaressa shouts, wagging her tail.  
          "I had no idea. My mind has been expanded so much!"  
          "Pet by another dog! Wow! There's no much more to this world!"  
          You try to imitate a bark, and this seems to please them enough to end the fight. Your soul absorbs back into your chest with a sucking sound.  
          As they turn to leave, you hear them speaking.  
          "Dogs can pet other dogs? This is amazing!"  
          "Just think - a new world has opened for us, darling!"  
          Glad to be on the move again, you are greeted by a strange puzzle. A sign, seemingly written in the same handwriting the note near the microwave was, reads "turn all X's into O's, then press the button."  
          Seems easy enough. You step on two large X's that sit on either side of a pattern of bushes. The turn into O's as you do so, and you press the button. A colleciton of familiar spikes retracts on the path ahead.  
          Papyrus stands on the other side, appearing annoyed.  
          "What? How did you avoid my trap?" he demands. "And, more importantly, is there any left for me?"  
          You realize he is speaking of the spaghetti. You nod at him silently. This seems to please him for some reason.  
          "Really? Wowee! You resisted the flavor of my home cooked pasta...just so you could share it with  _me_?" You aren't sure how to respond to this, but Papyrus is already continuing. "Fear not, human! For I, the great Papyrus, will make you  _all the pasta_ you could  _ever_ eat!"  
          Confused by the strange promise, you watch as he runs off down the path, presumably to set up another puzzle. You begin to wonder if you will ever reach Snowdin.  
          Papyrus seems to have stopped in front of a rather confusing puzzle. He says something about Sans starting a sock collection and how disappointing it is. You aren't sure whether to respond or not. However, he sees that you are interested in the puzzle.  
          "You were taking a long time to arrive, so...I  _improved_ this puzzle a little. I was going to arrange the snow in the shape of my face, but it froze to the ground and now the solution is different, and as usual, my lazy brother is nowhere to be found. I guess what I am saying is," he poses dramatically, "that  _I_ will help you solve this conundrum, and then we can both proceed! Meanwhile, feel free to try out the puzzle yourself. I'll try not to give away the answer!"  
          You ask him that if he knows the answer, why doesn't he do it himself? He seems confused by this question. You are too tired to wait for a reply. You look at the puzzle and it does indeed seem a little complex. You look around, trying to draw inspiration from somewhere, but nothing seems to jump out at you. You are actually kind of glad for this as you have been jumped at for quite a while today.  
          However, something draws your attention. It appears to be a large button hidden behind a tree. Papyrus is too involved in looking like a superhero to notice you as you pass by. The button is plain and white in color and you wonder how you saw it. But, you decide to press it. Something clicks and you turn to see all the X's are now O's.  
          A secret solution?  
          "Wowee! You solved it!" Papyrus exclaims, nearly jumping out of his boots. "All without my help! That was really fast, human! You must love puzzles just as much as _I_ do! If that's the case, then you'll really love this next one!"  
          You look at him with an expression that says "are you serious?" But he doesn't pick up on your annoyance and races off to attend to another puzzle.


	19. Chapter 19

          You pass by Sans as you follow after Papyrus. You are still somewhat annoyed, but Sans cheers you up a little.  
          "Wow, you solved it all by yourself. You didn't even need my help. Which...is great because I love doing absolutely nothing."  
          You allow a grin to pass your lips. Sans gives you a wink and you make your way forward.  
          As you approach Papyrus, he races across a strange checkered area on the ground to stand next to a giant electronic machine. You can't see it very clearly from where you are standing, but it looks pretty high-tech.  
          "Wait! Human! Do not go further!" he commands.  
          You groan, wishing he would just let you by.  
          "You're gonna love this puzzle! It was made by the great Dr. Alphys!" He points to the gray tiles on the ground. "Once I throw this switch, these tiles will begin to change color! Each color has a different function!" He picks up an official-looking piece of paper that rests on top of the machine and begins to read. "Red tiles are impassable - you cannot walk on them. Yellow tiles are electric! They will electrocute you, of course! Green tiles are alarm tiles - if you step on them, you will have to fight a monster."  
          You furrow your brow. There is no way you are going to remember all of these. You gulp and hope the puzzle he creates is simple.  
          "Orange tiles are orange scented - they will make you smell delicious. Blue tiles are water tiles. Swim through them if you want, but if you smell like _oranges_ , the piranhas will bite you! Also, if a blue tile is next to a yellow tile, the water will l zap you." He takes a breath and keeps reading. "Purple tiles are slippery and will cause you to slide to the next tile. However, the slippery soap smells like lemons, which piranhas do not like! Finally,  _pink_ tiles don't do anything. Step on pink tiles all you like." He looks up at you. "How was that? Do you understand?"  
          You are not quite sure if you do understand. You try to go over the information again in your head, but before you can answer he begins to speak again.  
          "Great! Now there's one more thing: this puzzle is  _completely random_. When I pull this switch, it will make a puzzle that has never been seen before! Not even  _I_ will know the solution! Nyehehe! Now get ready!"  
          He pulls the switch and you begin to panic. You aren't ready for this. The tiles change colors before your eyes, randomizing themselves. You bite you lip and grab the stone in your pocket. You pray that something simple comes up. There's no way that you're going to remember all the rules.  
          The sound of the machine increases in speed. It seems like it's almost done. You grab the stone until your knuckles turn white and your lip starts bleeding. And then it stops.  
          The puzzle displays a singular path made of pink tiles.  
          You look at it in shock. Papyrus seems annoyed.  
          "What? What is  _this_?" He tries to pull the lever again, but the machine makes a foghorn sound. He roars something intelligible and literally begins to spin down the path in frustration.  
          You watch him go, still mumbling about the machine and spinning strangely.  
          "Actually, that spaghetti was pretty good for my brother," Sans says, apparently ignoring everything that has just taken place as if it were a normal happening on a normal day. "He's been taking cooking lessons, and since then he's been improving a lot. I bet if he keeps it up, next year he'll even make something edible."  
          You decide to take a look at the machine. Sans watches as you approach the metal box. You press a button, but nothing happens. You try to pull the lever, but the machine does nothing. It appears to be broken. You wonder how it works if there's no electricity out here. You walk around the machine, trying to get an idea of how it works, but you don't see anything familiar. You sigh, and decide to continue down the path. Sans waves at you and you hope you are close to this Snowdin soon.  
          You pass by another sentry station where a familiar dog seems to be working with some snow. You greet him as you pass, but he appears too interested in the snow to see you. You smile, glad to see the dog is at least having fun.  
          The path leads into a dark stretch of trees. You can't see much through them, but you know you must continue. You grit your teeth and look behind you, wishing there was another way. There doesn't seem to be any danger, so you take a deep breath and step into them.  
          The path is a little icy, so you walk carefully. You can see the end of the closure up ahead. You grasp the stone, taking it out and looking at it. It can't shine very much in here, but it still seems to glow a little bit. You are almost to the end. You pick up the pace, trying to watch out for the ice. The snow seems to be weighing heavy on the branches above and you feel some hit your head. You quickly wipe it off, and more falls onto your head.  
          You grumble and wipe that off, too. The exit is close and you race out, dropping the stone back into your pocket. You breathe a sigh of relief and find yourself in an open field with piles of snow lying about. They all seem pretty harmless. You find one has a few coins inside and add them to your pocket. The other side of the field seems the way to go.  
          But, as you are about the leave, one of the snow poffs barks. You turn quickly to see the tail of a white dog pop out of it. You aren't too concerned until the dog begins to stand up taller. It appears to be a very tall dog in a full suit of armor! No, not now! Not another fight!  
          The familiar yanking causes you to fall backwards. Your soul begins to float in front of you once again.  
          Somehow you know this beast is called Greater Dog. It makes sense, seeing as the other dog in armor was shorter and was called Lesser Dog. You vow to seek out some kind of encyclopedia for monster names and origins.  
          But this dog doesn't seem to want to fight. Rather, it seems to just want attention. It is wagging its tail and panting happily. It throws its spear, but not in a vicious way. Instead, it seems that it is trying to give you the spear so you can throw it back. You have to dodge it with your soul-heart and just barely do. But, at least you know what to do now.  
          You run up to the large dog and pet it. It seems very pleased that you have done this and rolls on the ground seemingly asking for more. You pet it again and pick up the spear it has thrown. It sees that you've done so and begins to jump around happily.  
          You throw the spear a ways away and it races after it. It picks up the spear in its mouth and brings it back. The sight is very strange, considering his size, but you smile anyway.  
          You throw the spear once more and the dog seems happy. But, it can't seem to find the spear, so it decides to bring you some snow instead. And it doesn't just bring some snow, it gathers all the snow in the areas and pushes a giant snowball back to you. You blink at it, unsure of what to say. But, you decide to tell the dog that he is a good dog and it barks in response. Thankfully, this causes your soul to return to your body.  
          The dog jumps out of its armor suit to lick your face, then returns to it to walk away, but it seems to have gone in the wrong direction. Instead of its head poking through the top, it's wagging tail seems to be doing so instead.  
          The events that have just occured make you feel happy, but you won't be able to fight your fatigue for much longer.


	20. Chapter 20

          A long bridge awaits you as the Greater Dog leaves you. You move toward it and look around, half expecting someone to jump out at you. But, it seems safe.  
          So, carefully, you begin to make your way across. It's a very long bridge, and it's strangely sturdy. The wood creaks beneath you, but not in a threatening way. More as if the wood is saying "Why, hello there! Good to see you." You smile slightly at this idea. You being to wonder if there are other things like that rock back in the ruins - things that aren't normally sentient actually being the opposite.  
          You are broken from your thoughts by the sight of Papyrus and his brother waiting at the end of the bridge.  
          "Human!" Papyrus shouts. "This is your final and most dangerous challenge!"  
          Instead of a feeling of dread sweeping over you, you find yourself rather relieved that this is the last "challenge." Papyrus seems to pick up on this and frowns at you.  
          "Do not relax! This will be very difficult!" he insists. "Behold! The gauntlet of deadly terror!"  
          On signal, a series of obstacles seem to appear out of nowhere. You look around at each one: a spiked wrecking ball, a large spear, a huge torch burning brightly, a cannon, a large sword, and...a dog...on a rope....  
          You raise an eyebrow at the skeleton, but he continues.  
          "When I say the word, the gauntlet will fully activate!" He raises his index finger into the air. "Cannons will fire! Spikes will swing! Blades will slice! Each part will swing violently up and down! Only the tiniest chance of victory will remain! Are you  _ready_?"  
          You sigh and nod your head.  
          "Good! Because...I...am...ABOUT...TO...DO IT!"  
          You wait, not expecting much. You are right to expect such. Nothing happens.  
          "Well, what's the holdup?" Sans asks.  
          "Holdup? What  _holdup_? I am about to activate it  _now_!"  
          There's another long pause. Then, Sans speaks again.  
          "Uh...that doesn't look very activated."  
          "It seems...uh...well! This...challenge seems  _too easy_ to defeat the human with!" he pauses. "Uh, yeah! We can't use  _this_ one! I  _am_ a skeleton with  _standards_! My puzzles are  _very_ fair! And, my traps are expertly cooked! But, this method is  _too_ direct -  _no class_ at  _all_! Away it goes!"  
          You look around to see the strange contraptions disappearing into who knows where. You glare at Papyrus.  
          "What? What are you  _looking_ at? This was another  _decisive_ victory for the  _great_ Papyrus! Nyeh heh  _heh_?"  
          With the final laugh, he races down the path out of view once more. You frown and continue down the bridge.  
          "I don't know what my brother plans to do next," Sans says as you stop, "but I'd try to remember that thing about  _blue_ attacks."  
          With this in mind, you continue down the path until you spot something that makes you actually smile.  
          "Welcome to SNOWDIN!!!"  
          The large sign rests at the entrance to the village an you feel like giving it a hug just for existing. The sign doesn't seem very sturdy, though. It looks like its made of an old bed sheet attached to two poles and written on with fingerpaints. It sports a few Christmas lights, blinking happily. You aren't sure if monsters celebrate Christmas, but you don't care. You race into town, eager to find a place to rest, but end up crashing into a few citizens instead. The excuse themselve's politely, and you stumble into the only building that is useful to you at the moment - the inn.  
          The bunny woman inside greets you, but you don't hear her. Instead you empty your pockets onto the table and stumble up the stairs to the nearest room. She chases after you and hands you a key. You mutter something about being too tired and she smiles warmly, leading you to the room. You thank her, and the next thing you see in the bed. You don't even take off your shoes as you fall onto it. You are helped by someone, presumably the bunny woman, who tucks you in and shuts off the light, leaving the key on the nightstand.  
          You close your eyes for a much needed, and much deserved nap.


	21. Chapter 21

          (Hey.)  
          You hear a voice, but ignore it and roll over, trying to get some more sleep.  
          (Hey. Hey.)  
          There it is again. You moan in slight annoyance and duck under the blanket.  
          (Hey! Stop ignoring me!)  
          You groan and pull the pillow over your head. You mumble something about wanting five more minutes.  
          (Alright, that's  _it_!)  
          You feel the covers yanked off. It's  _freezing_. Your eyes shoot open and you roll over to glare at the face of someone that looks quite a lot like you.  
          You scream.  
          (Hey! Hey! Alright! I get it! Stop screaming already! I'm not going to eat you!)  
          You are still screaming as you roll out of bed and hit your head on the floor. You black out for just a few seconds, but when you open your eyes, the person is standing right over you.  
          (Hey, come on now. I'm not  _that_ scary.)  
          You scream again, causing the inn owner to race upstairs. You hear her struggling with the lock and the door flies open.  
          "What's going on? Are you hurt?"  
          You stop screaming only to point at the person standing over you. You look at the innkeeper, your eyes as wide as dinner plates.  
          " _Excuse me_ , sir," she says. "How did  _you_ get in here." She stands akimbo, looking very annoyed.  
          (Okay, first of all, I'm not a  _sir._ I'm not even a  _madam_ for that matter. If you  _must_ call me  _something_ , Chara is  _just fine_.)  
          "Either way, you still owe me an explanation! This poor child came to the inn last night and paid for their room.  _You_ have not!"  
          (Uhg,  _fine_.) They dig in their pockets and withdraw enough coins to cover their fare. For the first time, you really get a good look at this Chara person.  
          It appears they are not wholly  _there_. It's a bit hard to explain. It's as if they are a ghost, but not a ghost. They can touch and carry things like a person, but you can  _see through them_. As they hand the innkeeper rabbit the money she's owed, you slowly sit up. They notice you staring at them and raise an eyebrow.  
          (What are  _you_ looking at, shortstack?)  
          You ignore the insult and ask them what they are doing here.  
          (I dunno. I just kinda woke up here. Not like I had a choice. Last thing I remember is a bunch of yellow flowers, and being carried by my brother.)  
          You ask them if they are a ghost.  
          (A ghost? Heh, yeah maybe that's it. A ghost. Seems reasonable. I kinda  _did_ die, I guess.) They are standing with their arms crossed near the door. You bite you lip as you watch the innkeeper leave the hall. You kind of want to chase after her, but you feel frozen to your spot.  
          You try to stand up, but you feel a bit dizzy. Chara glares at you and you try to ignore them. It's not your fault they're here. Or is it?  
          (So, what? Am I like,  _stuck_ with you?)  
          You ask them what they mean.  
          (I tried to leave through the door while you were sleeping. I got to the front door of the inn and I started to  _flicker_. When I tried going farther away from you, and just appeared back here. And yeah, I did try it quite a few times.) They added the last sentence after seeing your confused expression. (I think it was something around 16 times before I'd tried everything.)  
          You carefully stand up and rub the back of your head. There's a small lump, but nothing too tender. You wince, feeling it.  
          (Stop whining. I don't want to be here any more than you want me here.)  
          You tell Chara they should try to be a little nicer.  
          (You should tell your _mom_ to be a little nicer.)  
          You frown at their juvenile insult. There isn't much else you can do but live with the situation for a time. You pick up the key the innkeeper left you and make your way out of the room.  
          (And I suppose you have a  _plan_?)  
          You shake your head and lock the door behind you.  
          (Oh  _great_. Of  _course_ I get stuck with the idiot.)  
          You flush angrily, but turn away so Chara doesn't see. You walk down the stairs to the front desk and the innkeeper looks at you, her eyes full of concern. You tell her thanks and not to worry. She doesn't seem convinced.  
          "Please visit my sister next door," she advises. "She runs the shop. I'm sure you can use at least something to keep warm."  
          You nod and make your way to the door. She watches as Chara follows behind you, their hands jammed into their jean pockets like an annoyed teenager. They sigh, causing their bangs to flip up like a frustrated curtain.  
          You wonder what their purpose is and if it's somehow your job to help them fulfill it.


	22. Chapter 22

          As you make your way out into the snow, you hear Chara sigh loudly. You decide to ignore them and go about your business. A visit to the little shop next to the inn was a good place to start.  
          The rabbit woman greets you as you enter. She looks rather familiar.  
          "Hello, traveler! How can I help you?"  
          You are surprised by the greeting. You feel like you shouldn't be. It's a very usual greeting.  
          "A new face! Can't remember the last time I saw one around here. Where'd you come from? The capital?"  
          You blush, thrown off by the question. You shake your head.  
          "Thought so. You don't look like a tourist. You here by yourself?"  
          You turn to see Chara standing with their arms crossed, their foot tapping. You say that this is your...companion, Chara.  
          "Ah! Didn't see ya there. Well, glad to have a new face, or faces, either way. Grillby's has food, and the library has information. My sis runs the inn where you can rest if you're tired, and if you're bored, you can sit outside and watch those two wacky skeletons do their thing." She grins. "I think they're brothers. But, they just showed up one day and... _asserted_ themselves. They town's gotten a  _lot_ more interesting since then."  
          The inn! You tell the woman that you stayed there last night. You say that you thought she looked familiar - you didn't realize that was  _her sister_! She nods and smiles.  
          "Yup, that's my sis! She's a swell lady. She's got a little kid that helps at the desk, too!"  
          You hear Chara groan. You apologize to the rabbit lady and explain that Chara is rather rude to everyone.  
          (Right,) they respond, still tapping their foot.  
          You feel like this woman might be able to provide some information to you about the world you've fallen into. You decide to ask if she knows anything about the town's history.  
          "Hmm, don't get that question often," she says, putting a hand on her chin. She thinks for a moment and decides to start at the beginning. "Well, before, all the monsters lived in the ruins. But, we got sick of it and decided to expand. It was getting a bit crowded there. Anyway, when they found this little snowy spot, a bunch of 'em decided they liked the cold and settled in. We never went back to the ruins, though. For one, it's nicer here, and two, that doors been locked for ages."  
          You nod, but say nothing. You think you know why the door is locked. You bite your lip.  
          "But, life's not been so bad. Lately it's been a little claustrophobic, but freedom's comin' soon, I think. At least, that's what we all hope! As long as we got that hope, we can grit our teeth and face the same struggles day after day. But, that's life, ain't it?"  
          You nod. She has a point. You ask her what she has for sale; she's been so kind in sharing information with you.  
          "Oh, ya! Of course. I have a Tough Glove to protect your hand, a nice Manly Bandana, quite a few bicicles left over from last weeks celebration, and some super-fresh cinnamon rolls sis made! I tried not to eat all of them. I have a few left you can buy. I heard they're real good for your soul."  
          (Hey, just so you know, those bicicles are just double popcicles. They heal your soul if you get hurt. Same with the cinnamon rolls,) Chara says. Then they realize that they are actually helping you, and stop themself. (I mean...uhg...)  
          So, the bicicles and the cinnamon rolls can heal your soul if it gets hurt. You think for a moment as Chara sighs and tell the woman that you'd like three bicicles and a cinnamon roll.  
          "Good choices! They last forever, even when the weather gets hot."  
          She hands you your choices and you search your pockets. You realize you only have enough for two bicicles! You tell the woman in despair, but she grins.  
          "It's alright. You can have the others as a 'welcome to Snowdin!' treat."  
          You blush and thank her profusley. You promise to patronize her many times over and she just laughs.  
          "Stay safe, little 'un and come back soon!"  
          As you exit the little shop, you turn to see Chara, still sulking. You tell them thanks for the assistance in the shop.  
          (Hmph. Whatever.)


	23. Chapter 23

          The village is waking up as you exit the shop. There are monsters of all types walking around. You spot a bear who seems to be placing wrapped gifts under a nicely decorated tree. You don't think it's Christmas. You ask the bear who the presents are for.  
          "Oh! You must not be from around here," he says. "There's a monster in the woods that is harassed by people since its antlers look like tree limbs. Teenagers sometimes put things on them and make it hard for the monster, so we decided to pull together and give it gifts. Now we share presents with each other under the tree."  
          You ask if there is a time of the year this happens, and the bear shakes his head.  
          "There's always gifts here. No one touches them unless it has their name on it." He points to a brightly colored one. "My neighbor put that there for my daughter. See, it says 'from Lita, to Chel.' I should tell her it's there so she can come get it."  
          You find the tradition endearing. You thank the bear as you hear Chara groan not so quietly. YOu apologize to the bear for Chara's rudeness, and bite your lip. The bear puts up a hand and smiles.  
          "Some don't like traditions. It's not for everyone."  
          You turn to walk away, and are stopped by a yellow lizard-like monster. He runs toward you, trips, but stands back up quickly.  
          "Hey! Hey, you're a kid, right? I can tell, cuz you're wearing a striped shirt!"  
          You are surprised by the approach, but you manage to nod. Chara frowns and shifts their weight to one leg. You ask what the monster child means.  
          "Well, you're a kid, and I'm a kid, so I was wondering if you wanted to play," he says.  
          You blush, surprised by the request. You explain that you would love to, but you have somewhere to go.  
          "Oh." The kid seems disappointed. You feel kind of bad, but he smiles anyway. "That's okay. Next time, maybe!"  
          You smile and nod back at him. Chara rolls their eyes.  
          As you turn to leave, you hear your stomach growl loudly. The monster kid laughs.  
          "Go get something to eat there," he says, pointing with his tail toward a building with a large sign that reads GRILLBY'S. You realize for the first time that he has no arms. "Don't worry, just tell Grillby that Monster Kid sent you."  
          You thank him and make your way inside. The place smells like cheeseburgers and pizza, and thankfully, not of smoke. You aren't sure what to do, actually, so you decide to speak to a few people. There's a smashed rabbit that seems sick of the sameness of the menu, and a large mouth creature that is confused about "human food" and how it spoils. You also see all the dogs that you've met on the way to Snowdin: Greater, Lesser, Dogamy, Dogaressa, and of course, Doggo. You greet them, but most seem too interested in the card game that Greater Dog seems to be hosting. You can't tell who's winning, or even what game it is.   
          One of the patrons at the bar seems to have caught your questioning look.  
          "Those dogs are all part of the Royal Guard," he explains, wiping some barbeque sauce from his duck beak. "The guard's lead by Undyne, but I wouldn't want to work with her. She's loud, rude, and beats up anyone that gets in her way."  
          You nod nervously, hoping you don't have to meet this Undyne. Chara frowns, their arms crossed. You see a small spark of recognition in their eyes, but you don't say anything. It might be best if you left them alone for now.  
          You approach the bar and the manager greets you. You step back in surprise as you realize that he's actually made it fire. Legitimately  _made of fire._ He glances at you, not flinching - he seems to be used to this reaction. He says that he'd offer you a glass of water, but he doesn't touch the stuff. You thank him anyway.  
          Your stomach growls again and you blush. He hands you a menu that is thankfully not on fire, and picks up a glass to clean it. He seems interested in you, but doesn't say anything.  
          The menu is full of familiar fare: burgers, fries, pizza, steak, chicken...  
          (The fries are alway good here.)  
          You turn to Chara, surprised at the suggestion. They aren't looking at you, rather observing the various spirits in the back behind the counter. They seem to recognize the place. You ask if they've been here before.  
          (None of  _your_ business, nosey Nat,) Chara snaps, glaring at you. You flush in embarassment and quietly tell Grillby you'd like some fries. He glances at Chara, seemingly recognizing them as well, then nods to you. You carefully ask Chara if they want anything, but they just grunt.  
          Grillby disappears into the kitchen, leaving the pair of you alone. You try not to look at Chara, but the more you think about them, the more curious you get. You open your mouth to ask a question, but shut it promptly, not wanting to get yelled at.  
          (I know what you want to know,) they say, not turning to meet your curious eyes. (But I'm not telling you anything,  _kid_.)  
          


	24. Chapter 24

          Despite Chara's awful attitude, you enjoy listening to the various conversations happening around you. You hear something about "Undyne." This name seems vaguely familiar. You think you may have heard Papyrus say something about it, but you aren't sure. You watch the dogs mess around with the cards as you wait for your fries.  
          Grillby brings your food out and you quickly eat about half of the fries. You hadn't realized how big of a portion it would be. You look at Chara, wondering if they wanted any, but they are just staring at the shelves behind the bar, seemingly lost on thought. You slide the plate over to them, avoiding eye contact and tell them you're going to the bathroom.  
          As you enter the back hallway, you turn to see them reluctantly munching on a fry. You aren't sure if they can actually eat, but you hope the gesture at least improves their mood. When you return to your seat, the fries are all gone. You smile to yourself.  
          (What are  _you_ smiling about?)  
          You tell them that you were not smiling at anything, then begin to head toward the door. Not satisfied with that answer, but knowing they, too, have to follow, Chara makes their way toward the door as well.  
          You spot the library that the shop owner mentioned. Information, as she put it, would be useful. You push the door open and a hedgehog-like monster greets you.  
          "Welcome to the library," she says with a nod. "Yes, we know the sign is misspelled."  
          You hadn't realized it when you entered. You tell the librarian.  
          "Well, it has an extra B..."  
          (Hey! She's right!) Chara says, flinging the door closed behind them. (It says "librarby.")  
          The librarian rolls her eyes and directs you the shelves and explains any information you need should be there. You thank her and make your way over. As you browse the books, Chara rocks back and forth on their feet. You find a lot of information on the monsters: where they came from, why they are trapped underground, and why they have to stay here. You begin to wonder if there  _is_ a way out of here. You bite your lip, considering all the possibilites. It would have been nice to stay with Toriel, but...that opportunity is long gone....  
          You turn to see Chara, apparently bored, has taken a seat at the table with three other monsters. They are chatting about the puzzles in the newspaper. It seems they are the ones that put them together.  
          "Yeah, nothing really happens here, so we just make puzzles for the newspaper since there's no news."  
          "Sometimes we put comics in there."  
          Chara appears to be doodling and listening to them chat. You continue to look at the books and gasp as you find something  _very_ useful - _The Underground's Complete Guide to Monsters_.  
          You pull it out and find it filled with color photographs of all the types of monsters. Your eyes begin to sparkle and you fervently hope that the librarian will let you borrow it. It could be very useful for making your way through the areas of the Underground.  
          You bring the book to the counter and ask to borrow it. The librarian seems surprised, but nods, instructing you to sign the cards in the back. She keeps one of them for reference, and tells you to bring it back next time you're in town.  
          As you head to the door, Chara is signing their picture. They give it to the horse-faced lady monster at the table and they seem very pleased. The other ladies coo and thank Chara, who blushes a little before following.  
          (What did you get?)  
          You show Chara the book you've chosen and they grimace.  
          (You're a huge  _nerd_ aren't you?)  
          You think for a moment, then simply nod. You  _are_ are huge nerd after all.


	25. Chapter 25

          Having explored most of what Snowdin has to offer, you decide it's probably time to move along. The northern part of the city was a bit empty, so you didn't spend much time there; on a strange family of pebble-shaped monsters and a strange, ice-throwing wolf inhabited that area. There is a path leading out of the village, so, as your goal is to find the exit to this maze of a world, you decide it's probably that direction you need to go.  
          As you make your way out of town, you turn to see the villagers, as if saying goodbye. They don't seem to notice your prescense. That is, except for that strange Monster Kid. You see him smile and wave his tail, and you secretly hope to see him again. Facing to other way, the direction of, hopefully, your goal, you continue.  
          The path seems clear, but it seems to get strangely foggy as you continue. The more you walk, the foggier it seems to get. A chill hangs in the air, and you regret not buying a coat before you left. You feel the air around you freezing, as if some strange power is at work here. You clench your jaw and you hear Chara's footsteps behind you, at least reminding you that you aren't alone.  
          Ahead of you in the fog, you spot a silhouette. It's hard to make out who it is, but you freeze, almost literally, hoping it's not someone that will cause you harm.  
          "Human!"  
          You sigh in relief. It's only Papyrus.  
          "Human! Allow me tell you about...some complex feelings."  
          You tell him you aren't sure what he is speaking about. Chara rolls their eyes.  
          "Feelings like...the joy of finding another pasta-lover! The admiration for another's puzzle-solving skills. The desire to have a cool, smart person think you are cool! These feelings...they must be what  _you_ are feeling  _right now_!"  
          You aren't sure if you agree with this.  
          (What are you getting at?)  
          Papyrus pauses, not expecting the second voice. But, he continues, none-the-less. "I can hardly imagine what it must be like to feel that way. After all, I am very great. I don't ever wonder what having lots of friends is like." He sighs dramatically. "I pity you, lonely human. But, worry not! You shall be lonely no longer! I, the great Papyrus, will be your..."  
          He stops, seemingly realizing something. There's a long silence before he speaks again.  
          "No. No, this is  _all_ wrong! I can't be your friend! You are a human! I  _must_ capture you! Then, I can fulfill my lifelong dream!"  
          He poses as if he is some sort of trophy. The fog is beginning to clear, so you can make out his smirking face. "Powerful! Popular! Prestigious! That's the great Papyrus...the newest member of the  _Royal Guard_!"  
          You try to tell Papyrus that you  _do_ want to be his friend. There would be so much you could do together! But, Papyrus seems to have already made up his mind. You feel a familiar pull on your chest and your face turns pale.  
          (What's this all about?) Chara asks with a frown. They raise an eyebrow at you, but you can say nothing. Your soul bursts from your chest and you gasp, falling to your knees. Chara, seemingly not familiar with this procedure, turns the color of oatmeal. (What the  _heck_? What is going on? Is that your  _heart_?)  
          You shake your head and gasp, shakily standing up. You explain that is your soul, and Papyrus is trying to FIGHT you. You choke out the words, even if you have experienced this many times before. You cannot get used to this feeling and you still feel naked with your soul floating before you.  
          (So what are you supposed to do now?)  
          You tell Chara the only thing to do now is try to get out of this FIGHT without hurting Papyrus. You crack open the book you picked up, still having trouble catching your breath, and hope Papyrus has a page.  
          (Get out of a FIGHT without  _hurting_ anyone? How the  _heck_ are you supposed to do  _that_?)  
          You give Chara a single finger to indicate you need a few seconds to find the information you need. Ah, good. Papyrus has a page.

           ** _Papyrus -_** _ATK 20 DEF 20_  
          He likes to say "nyeh, heh, heh!"  


Well, you already knew that. Chara seems frustrated and wants to know what you are talking about. The book also indicated some suggested actions: flirt and insult.  
          (Why don't you just  _hit him_! That will make him leave! You just need to get _by_ him, right?)  
          You turn to Chara, furious that they would even suggest something like that. They don't seem convinced. You aren't sure about either of the the suggested options, but flirting seems a little better than the latter.  
          You tell Papyrus that you think he's very handsome, and hope something happens that makes things at least a little better for you.  
          "What?  _Flirting_? So you finally reveal your  _ultimate feelings_!" He pauses, seemingly not knowing what to say. "W-well I am a skeleton of  _very_ high standards!"  
          You tell Papyrus that you can make spaghetti.  
          (Oh my god.  _Anyone_ can make that!)  
          Papyrus doesn't seem to have heard Chara. "Oh no! You're meeting all my standards!"  
          (Give me a  _break_!)  
          "I guess this means I have to go  _on a date_ with you...?" He seems unsure. "But...let's go on a date  _after_  I capture you!"  
          You gulp. It didn't seem to work! What now? You don't want to deal with being captured. You bite your lip, hoping what came next wasn't going to be  _that_ bad.


	26. Chapter 26

          Papyrus seems flustered. Maybe your flirting  _had_ worked. You bite your lip and wait to see what he does. He knows he has a job to do, but he seems conflicted. He tries to apply some cologne behind his ears, but he has no ears, so he throws it down in frustration.  
          (Try the other ACTion,) Chara suggests. You know the other option is to insult him, but you don't want to fight him either.   
          Not knowing what else to do, you try it. You call Papyrus an idiot.  
          "There's no need to lie to yourself! Your barbs hide hidden affection, you emotional cactus!"  
          Not even  _that_ worked. You begin to panic. You just want him to  _move_!  
          You flip through the monster guide, hoping there's further information about Papyrus, but you find nothing. You do the one thing left. You tell Papyrus you spare him.  
          "So you won't fight? Then let's see if you can handle my fabled  _blue_ attack!"  
          He begins to throw blue-colored bones at you! You feel your heart leap to your throat.  
          (It's blue! Keep your soul still and they go right through!)  
          You are glad Chara is there to remind you. You stand as still as you can and squeeze your eyes shut. The bones fly right through your soul. You turn to Chara and ask them how they knew that.  
          Chara blushes and opens their mouth to answer, but before any words can form, you feel a sudden sinking feeling. You quickly turn to see that your soul is now on the snowy ground. Your face pales. It's also now blue instead of red. You look at Papyrus in horror, but he seems proud, rather than worried.  
          "You're blue now! That's my  _attack_!" he says, matter-of-factly.  
          You begin to really panic now. You leaf through the book like a madman with a purpose. There's nothing you can find that explains what is happening! You can only pray. You pray and pray, hoping something will come to you.  
          You somehow cause your soul to...jump? It jumped? You will it to jump again. It seems that being blue causes your soul to suffer from gravity. You want to cry. You don't know how to deal with this. You sink to your knees and grab your head. How is this supposed to help you?  
          Papyrus seems unphased. He laughs and waits for your move. You put up a hand, indicating that you spare him. You have nothing else you can do. He laughs his strange laugh and begins to throw bones at you. You are still clutching your head, completely at a loss.  
          (Stop moping and  _jump_ , you idiot!)  
          You look up to see bones sliding toward your soul. They aren't very tall. You gulp, bite your lip, wipe your eyes, and tell your soul to jump.  
          It does just that. You feel your eyes getting wet from relief. Maybe there was something you could do. If you just keep sparing Papyrus, maybe you can get out of this alive.  
          Papyrus seems to have forgotten that he doesn't have ears, because he begins to put marinara sauce "behind" them. You don't have time to correct him, or even ask how he thinks this is better than cologne. You are too busy trying to avoid being seriously hurt by his stupid bones that he keeps throwing at you.  
          You spare him again and he rants about his popularity and how much capturing you will bring him closer to his dream.   
          You tell him you just don't want to fight him. You try to flirt again, but he seems to busy FIGHTing you to respond. However, he seems a little distracted, now, as if he's thinking about something. You ask him what it is.  
          "What? I'm not thinking about that  _date_ thing!" He follows this up with a bone attack of renewed vigor.  
          (Stop  _flirting,_ ) Chara hisses. You sigh and chew on your lip. You tell Papyrus that you are sparing him once again.  
          "Yeah, don't make me use my  _special_ attack!" He pulls out some strange green liquid that apparently is labled "MTT-brand Attraction Slime" and tries to put it behind his ears, but he finally realizes once again he  _doesn't have any_ and throws the jar into the snow. You see Chara roll their eyes as if they've seen this many times before.  
          Papyrus leans forward and whispers "Nyeh heh heh!" to you.  
          (Oh, sweet lord! Is this what he thinks is  _sexy_?) Chara exclaims, throwing their arms out in exasperation. For some reason, you are amused by both characters. You giggle, and gain a bit of confidence from it. You gulp and reach into your pocket for the shiny rock. You are filled with DETERMINATION, now. You feel that you can win.  
          "Just imagine - Papyrus, head of the  _Royal Guard_! Undyne will be  _really_ proud of me! The king will trim a hedge in the shape of my smile!" He pauses for a moment, seemingly considering something. "But, will anyone like me as sincerely as you?"  
          (I think I'm going to be sick.)  
          You are too busy to comment. You are trying to make sure your soul is not damaged too much by all of the bone attacks. You catch a breather as Papyrus considers his next move.  
          "Someone like your is really rare. And, dating might be kind of hard after you're captured and sent away."  
          You look at Papyrus. He seems a little forlorn. But he suddenly looks up, his eyes filled with his own form of determination.  
          "Oh, who cares! Just give up...or face my  _special bone attack_!"  
          Your lower lip quivers. Your DETERMINATION is waivering. But, you tell Papyrus you won't give up and you will keep sparing him!  
          "This is your  _last_ chance!" he threatened, throwing more bones at you. You try as hard as you can to avoid them. Your soul has been taking quite a beating. You don't know how much longer it can keep up. Your grab your chest against the pain.  
          "Fine! Here's my special attack!" He raises his hand as if to unleash said attack, but nothing happens. A small bark seems to come out of nowhere and a tiny dog races off with a mouthful of bones. "What the heck? Get back here you  _stupid dog_! That's my  _special_ attack!"  
          But the dog is too fast, and before Papyrus can even give chase, it disappears into the woods. He groans. You are thrown out of your serious demeanor and blink in surprise.  
          "Uhg,  _fine_. Here is a  _perfectly normal_ attack."  
          (Jump as high as you can,) Chara advises. You look at them in surprise. (Yeah, tell your soul to jump as high as it can, but then  _keep_ going.)  
          You aren't sure what they mean, but as a large forest of bones careens toward your soul, you have no other choice but to trust them! You scream at your soul to jump!  
          It does exactly that and it seemingly keeps going. It's like...it's floating! Your soul sores over the bone forest and lands with a soft thump in the snow.  
          Papyrus seems winded. Is this finally the end?  
          "Well... _huff..._ it appears you...can't beat me! Yeah...! I can see you  _shaking_ in your boots!"  
          (Clearly,) Chara comments, crossing their arms. You look at them, surprised that their advice worked, but Papyrus continues.  
          "Therefore...I, the great Papyrus... _huff_  ...elect to grant you  _pity_!"  
          You feel like you are about to faint. You fall on your hands and knees in the snow and shout that you spare Papyrus as loudly as you can!  
          Your soul returns to your body and you feel yourself flood with relief. Before Papyrus can speak further, you fall to your back, despite to freezing snow. You don't care. It feels good on your back.  
          Chara groans and glares at you. (A  _thank_   _you_ would be  _nice_.)


	27. Chapter 27

          You sit up slowly and look at Chara. They look just as annoyed as ever, but you smile at them. They frown and avert their eyes and cross their arms.  
          "Human! I, the great Papyrus, have elected to spare you! Accept my mercy!"  
          You smile and nod enthusiastically. You tell Papyrus that you spare him as well.  
          However, Papyrus seems a little upset. You stand up and ask him what's wrong.  
          "Nyoo, hoo, hoo...I can't even beat someone as weak as you."  
          ( _Excuse_ me?) Chara snaps, shooting the skeleton a glare. But Papyrus simple looks down at his feet.  
          "Undyne will be so dissappointed. I'll  _never_ join the Royal Guard." He sighs. "My friend quantity will remain stagnant.:  
          (That's what you get for being so _lame_.)  
          You shoot Chara a poisonous glare. It surprises them quite a bit and they look ashamed, even if just for a moment. You pace over to Papyrus, the snow crunching beneath your shoes. You put a hand on his bony shoulder and he turns to look at you.  
          You tell him that you will be his friend.  
          He seems surprised by the suggestion. "Really? You want to be friends with... _me_?"  
          You nod and smile at him.  
          "Well then...I guess...I guess I can make...an allowance for you!" He smiles brightly. "Wowie! And we haven't even had our first date, and I've already managed to hit the Friendzone! Who knew that  _all_ I needed to make pals...was to give people awful puzzles and then fight them!"  
          You giggle and he continues.  
          "I hereby grant you permission to pass through!"  
          You thank him profusely and shake his hand. He turns to leave, but before taking a step he pauses.  
          "If you want to get out of the Underground, you'll have to pass through the barrier. That's the magical seal that's trapping all of us here.  Anything can enter through it, but nothing can leave...except for someone with a powerful soul. Maybe someone...like you!"  
          You are surprised by the information. You frown, wishing you could go back they way you came, but you know the door to the ruins is locked. You think of Toriel and feel your eyes tear up. You gulp and thank him for the information.  
          "That's why the king wants to acquire a human - he wants to open the barrier with soul power. Then, we can all return to the surface!"  
          That sounds reasonable. You have met quite a few nice monsters, but you worry a bit about the reception they might receive.  
          "You'll have to pass through the king's castle to get there, though. You'll meet the king of all monsters there. He's...well...he's a big fuzzy pushover. He'll probably lead you to the barrier."  
          (Sounds about right...) You hear Chara say behind you. They seem thoughtful. You turn to look at them, but they just frown loudly at you.  
          "Anyway, that's enough talking! I'll be at home being a cool friend! Feel free to come by anytime for that date!"  
          Before you can say anything else, he leaps over you quite elegantly and races back toward Snowdin. You watch in astonishment as he disappears, his "nye he he" echoing through the trees.  
          You scratch your head and walk back over to Chara. They don't look at you, and still seem frustrated with their situation. You put a hand on their shoulder and they look at you, confused, but then give a scoff and turn away again.  
          You smile. You don't mind that they are annoyed. You know they really do care, even if they don't want to show it. You walk past them and head back to Snowdin.  
          (Huh? You're going back?)  
          You shout back at them that you want to know how a date with a skeleton might go.  
          (Are you  _kidding_? Do you realize how stupid you sound?)  
          You shout back that you don't really care!


	28. Chapter 28

          You knock on the door of Papyrus' house. Chara is running through the snow, and finally catches up to you, now out of breath. You smile at them and they raise an eyebrow. The grumble and cross their arms, but say nothing else.  
          Papyrus opens the door and is surprised to see you. You blush bright and look at your feet. It takes him a moment to realize why you are here.  
          "Oh! You're back for that  _date_ with me!" He pauses and squints his eyes. "You must be really  _serious_ about this! I'll have to take you someplace _really_ special - a place I like to spend a lot of time!" He takes your hand and leads you down the road. You pass the "librarby" and nearly trip over your own feet. The skeleton is walking rather fast! Chara is growling as well, trying to race to keep up. You soon reach Grillby's, but instead of going inside, he does a quick u-turn and leads you back towards the "librarby."  
          (What the heckie?)  
          He brings you all the way back to his house, much to your surprise, then stops. You look at him, but he's too busy admiring his home for some reason.  
          (Why are we back here?) Chara pants. They are really out of breath now!  
          "My house!" Papyrus exclaims. He releases you and charges into his abode, leaving you are Chara gaping at each other.  
          (So he wants to  _go on a date_ in his  _house_....)  
          You tell Chara you won't judge and push the door open.  
          (Of  _course_ you won't! You don't  _judge_ anything! Not even things that  _need_ to be judged! You are  _crazy_! I am  _so_ sick of....)  
          You tell them to be silent, as you are guests now. For some reason, they stop talking, but do not mask their annoyance.  
          Papyrus offers to show you around, and you nod, glad to be welcome.  
          "This is my brother's pet rock," he says, indicating a rock on the table. It's strangely covered in sprinkles. "Of course, Sans doesn't take responsibility, so  _I_ have to feed it." You nod and smile at him, but you hear Chara scoff at the supposed stupidity. You elbow them without turning around and they complain loudly.  
          "Why is your friend yelling?" the skeleton asks.  
          You shake your head and tell him to continue with the tour. Chara is just cranky.  
          (That's not  _all_ I am, you idiot.)  
          You ignore them as Papyrus shows you the other things in his living room.  
          "This sock," he explains, "is something I've asked Sans to put away many times, as you can see by the notes attached to it." There are indeed notes attached to it depicting Papyrus' need for a clean household, but reluctant to touch a dirty sock that is not his own. Sans has replied a few times with "ok," but the sock is still on the floor. "I try to let it not bother me...!" he adds.  
          (And why do we care about a  _sock_?)  
          You elbow Chara again and they roar at you. You tell them to hush.  
          ( _Excuse_ me!  _I'm_ the one in  _pain_ here!)  
          You explain the Papyrus that Chara has personal issues and you'll sort them out as soon as you are done with the tour. Papyrus looks a little concerned, but you tell him not to worry. You hiss at Chara to stop making stupid and rude comments or you'll have to bury them in the snow until they calm down.  
          (You  _wouldn't_.) Chara doesn't seem convinced, but also seems worried that it might actually happen. You grin threateningly at them, and this seems to shut them up. Although you would never have the heart to actually do it, you don't want Chara to know  _that_.  
          Papyrus proceeds to the kitchen. "This is the trash can," he says, holding both hands out like a true Vanna White. "Feel free to visit it any time!"  
          You aren't sure how to respond to that, so you just tell him thank you. He seems satisfied and continues to the fridge.  
          "This is my food museum!" He opens it up to reveal a large collection of jars all labeled "spaghetti" on one side, while the other side holds only an empty bag of chips. You assume the brothers have split the fridge for their own storage, and... "Yes, that's Sans' side," Papyrus says, interrupting your thoughts as if reading your mind.  
          You notice the sink is on a very tall counter. It's so tall, you don't even thing Papyrus can reach it to use it.  
          "What do you think of the sink? I made it really high up so you can fit more bones under it!" He opens the cabinet door presumably to show you his bone collection, but a small dog seems to be inside instead of lots of bones. The dog yelps in surprise and races out of the cabinet with its prize.  
          "Catch that meddling canine!" he shouts, racing toward the door. But somehow, the dog has already gotten the door open and has escaped. As if on cue, you hear the sound of a trombone playing the "woh woh wooooh" sound of an unfortunate circumstance, and this seems to make Papyrus even angrier.  
          "Sans, stop plaguing my life with incidental music!"  
          The only reply that comes is a soft chuckling from the other skeleton. Papyrus stops his feet and fumes for a moment, before calming down.  
          "Fine, then let's just continue the tour!"


	29. Chapter 29

          You travel up the stairs to a door that seems marked with ominous signs. A large stop sign sits prominent in the center, while some police tape and a "post no bills" notice decorate the rest of it.  
          "That's  _my_ room!" Papyrus declares proudly, posing in front of it. "Since we're finished with the tour, we could go in and...do whatever people do when they date?"  
          You giggle and Chara rolls their eyes. You slowly push open the door and Papyrus follows you in. Inside is even worse than you expect, but not in a bad way. The first thing you notice is a  _car_ bed. He notices your interested eye, and explains.  
          " _That's_ my bed! If I ever get the the surface I'd like to drive down a highway...wind in my hair, sun on my skin...." He clears his throat. "Of course, that's just a dream."  
          You pause for a moment and think about this. You tell Papyrus not to give up hope - maybe his dream might come true.  
          (Pfffffshh.)  
          You ignore Chara and tell Papyrus not to worry. The future holds a lot of mysteries. This seems to brighten him up a little.  
          "You know, you are a  _strange_ human," he says. "But, I think you might be right!" You smile at him and he begins a tour of his room for you.  
          "That box over there is the attacks I used on you! Great memories, huh?" He sighs wistfully. "It seems like it was only yesterday! Even though it basically just happened...."  
          He leads you to his very outdated computer. You think you recognize the gigantic monitor from a show you watched back home. You think it's from the early 90's. "And here is the  _Internet_! I'm quite popular there. I'm just a  _dozen_ away from a  _double-digit_ follower count!"  
          You find yourself giggling. Chara raises an eyebrow, unimpressed, but says nothing. They seem to be taking you a bit more seriously now and have stopped being rude.  
          "Of course, fame has a  _steep_ price. A jealous troll has besieged my online person! Always sending me bad puns in a goofy font...!"  
          (I think I know who  _that_ could be.)  
          "You know who the troll is?" Papyrus asks, seeming desperate. You tell Chara to shush and they roll their eyes at you. You quickly tell Papyrus that you hope the troll stops bothering him soon, and make a mental note to mention it to Sans when you meet him next. Papyrus doesn't seem too happy about it, but it's probably better (and more amusing) if he doesn't know  _just_ yet.  
          "This is my bookshelf!" He pulls out one book and shows you. "It's called  _Advanced Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds_." You take it from his offered hand and flip through it. It  _does_ seem quite comprehensive. There's strategies for making both physical and paper puzzles and some look  _very_ complex! You thank him and hand it back to him.   
          "And this one," he says, pulling another book from the shelf, "is also my favorite." He shows it to you as well. It's a children's book called  _Peek-a-boo with Fluffy Bunny_. You open it to find simple drawings on cardboard pages. "The ending always gets me."  
          (This is getting  _boring_ ,) Chara whines. You hiss at them and they grumble and sit down on the floor. You tell them it's important to learn about friends.  
          (Why? To use it to  _murder_ them later?)  
          The grin on Chara's face sends shivers down your spine. Though their expression quickly changes to amusement, you are still in shock. Papyrus doesn't seem much better. You tell Papyrus that you are sorry and that you have to leave right now. You aplogize and tell him that you will return for the rest of your date later.  
          "Alright. That is okay! I will see you very soon, human!"  
          Chara is cackling now. They seem to have gained some kind of points with themselves, having scared you so much. You are forcefully pushing them out the front door of the Skeleton Brothers' house. They don't seem upset, rather insanely amused.  
          (If you could only see your  _face_!)  
          You will have  _none_ of it. You push them into the snow and they stand up, glaring poisonously at you.  
          (I have done  _so_ much. I have done  _so many_ bad things. What makes you think  _you_ can stop me from doing  _anything_?)  
          Clearly, Chara has quite a bit of perversion to work off. You push them into the snow again, as angry as ever. They become more angry and try to push you back. You try to stand firm, but you falter as well and fall onto your butt.  
          ( _See_? You're  _nothing_. I can  _easily_ take you down.)  
          You ask what they could gain from killing you.  
          ( _Killing_? Well, yeah, I  _could_ do it, but then I'd probably just dissappear again.)  
          You frown and stand as tall as you can.  
          (Don't give me that face. It's always defiance before they...) They snap their fingers, but nothing happens. They pause and look around. Clearly, they were expecting something to happen. (Wh-what? What's going on? My  _powers_? What happened to my  _powers_?)  
          You push them over again, but they are too stunned to react. (My  _powers_ are gone! Wh-what happened?)  
          You glare at them, daring them to do something. But they seem genuinely confused and concerned. You carefully ask them what they mean.  
          They shoot you a glare and stand up. (None of your  _stupid_ business! I  _had_ magic but  _now_ I don't! Who cares!  _Not_ me!)  
          You point out that they clearly do care.  
          (Shut  _up!_ ) they yell. They turn and start to run toward the forest, but after about five hundred feet, they dissappear and reappear next to you. They seem surprised, grunt angrily, and run toward the woods again. But, soon they are back at your side, as if teleported there.  
          (Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut  _up_!) they shout, trying to run again. But once more, they dissappear and reappear right next to you. They fall to the snowy ground and scream into their hands.  
          You watch them, both intrigued and slightly amused. You take out your book  _The Underground's Complete Guide to Monsters_ for some reason. You feel as if Chara might have a page, seeing as they had "powers" of some kind. They are crying now, but you refuse to comfort them. They clearly have some issues, and you know their tears are not out of shame. Instead, you open your index and search of Chara.  
          You gasp seeing the name in the index. Quickly, you turn to the page.

          **Chara** \- ATK ? DEF ?  
          Likes knives and chocolate.

         You already know that. Is there anything else?

          _Was dead, but is now alive in a probationary allowance_.

         Probationary allowance? By who's authority? They were brought back for what reason?  
          (Why are you reading that stupid book again?)  
          You close the book with a soft  _thump_ , but say nothing. You glare at Chara and return to Papyrus' house. You tell them that if they are going to come along, they better not say anything stupid again.  
          (Whatever.) But, as expected, they follow you. (Not like I have a  _choice_ in the matter anyway.)


	30. Chapter 30

          Still bothered by what you read in your book, you try not to think about it for the time being. For now, you're a guest of Papyrus, and you want to spend a little time with him. You pace back into his house, Chara trudging behind. They don't seem to be enjoying this any more than they were a few minutes ago, but as they had promised, they say nothing.  
          "Human! Are you okay?" Papyrus asks as you head back up the stairs. He's standing in his doorway with a concerned expression. You sigh loudly, but tell him you are alright. He doesn't seem convinced, but you tell him you'd like to continue your "date." Perhaps it can get your mind away from the worries. You know you'll have to face them eventually, but not without help. You'll have to find that help later, you think.  
          You point at the Jolly Roger flag that Papyrus has on his wall. You ask him about it, and this immediatly erases the expression for a more positive one. You don't want him to worry, so a distraction is the best option.  
          "Undyne found that in the bay! I think it's from the human world?" He grins. "Now I know what you're thinking - why would a human flag have a  _cool_ skeleton on it? Well, I have a theory. I think humans...must have...descended from  _skeletons_!"  
          Despite your mood, you find that you are giggling. He seems confused, but glad that you are not frowning anymore. He joins in your laughing with a loud "nyeh heh heh!", and continues his tour with some action figures he's set out on the table.  
          You look over at Chara. They seem shaken, still, but try to keep up a tough-looking demeanor. They stand with their arms crossed, watching Papyrus silently. They catch you looking at them and frown, but continue to be silent.  
          "Those are my  _action_ figures! They're a great reference for theoretical battle scenarios. How do I have so  _many_?" He squints at you and grins widely. "Well, let's just say they're from a chubby man who loves to surprise people." When you appear confused, answers excitedly. "Yeah, that's right! Santa!"  
          You smiley brightly. You're having a great time learning about your new friend.  
          "Oh yeah, and last over there in my closet," he adds, pointing at the door on the other side of the room. "There's no skeletons in there!" He pauses. "Except me, sometimes."  
          You nod. This is indeed a good thing. You tell him this and he stands tall and proud.  
          "So, uh, now that you've seen everything," he says, seeming a bit nervous, "would you like to start the date?"  
          You'd forgotten that's what this is about! You're not sure what he means, but you tell him sure.  
          "Okay, dating start!"  
          You feel a familiar tug on your soul. You blink, confused. But, it seems to remain in your chest. What a strange thing to happen. Papyrus stands in front of you as if you are  _in_ a FIGHT with him, but something is different. Chara is startled by the sudden change in atmosphere, but watches from a distance. They decide to take a seat on the floor to watch.  
          "Okay, let's see. Here we are on our...date!" He pauses and looks around. "I've actually never done this before. But, don't worry! You can't spell 'prepared' without several letters from my name!" He extracts a small book from somewhere within his outfit. You can't seem to figure out where he could have possible stored it, but you know by now the logic in this world is not...really that logical. "I snagged an official dating rule book from the library! We're ready to have a great time!"  
          He flips to the first section and reads aloud. "Let's see...step one. 'Press the C key on your keyboard for the Dating HUD.'" He pauses to look around for his keyboard. It's over by the computer, of course. He races over and pressed the C key.  
          What happens next you can explain even less than where the skeleton pulled the book from. A collection of stats and indicators suddenly appears in the air. You take a step back in surprise. You've never seen this before in your life. Was dating in the Underground really this  _weird_?  
          You look at the information floating in front of you. Above your head, there's an indicator for the day of the week. You'd forgotten it was Monday, you guess. It also shows a moon, indicating it must be night time. There's also some kind of radar that shows the position of an Annoying Dog in the area. You guess it is probably the one that ran off with the bones. There's also something that says "reel it in!" as if you are playing a fishing game, a population tracker, a crime tracker, and ...an egg...tracker?  
          "Wowie! I feel so  _informed_!" Papyrus explains, racing back over to where you are. "I think we're ready for step two!" He glances at the book, then reads it out loud. "Step two...ask them on a date." He pauses to clear his throat. "Human! I, the great Papyrus, will go on a date with you!"  
          An option to accept or decline appears in front of you, floating like the other boxes. You are still in a bit of a shock, but you manage to select the "yes" option with a simple finger touch to the strange window.  
          "Really? Wowie! I guess that means it's time for  _part three_!" He turns the page in the book and reads the next step. "'Step three...put on nice clothes to show you care." He looks at you, then stops. "Wait a second...! You're wearing clothing  _right_ now! Not only that, but earlier today you were wearing clothing, too!" He blushes bright red and puts his hands on his cheeks. "Could it  _be_? You've been wanting to date me from the  _very_ beginning?"  
          Another yes or no window pops up in front of you. Unsure of your answer, you think it best to say yes, though you aren't sure if what you are doing can even be considered a "date."  
          "No!" he exclaims, gasping in surprise. "You planned it  _all_! You're way better at dating than I am!" You find yourself grinning like a fool in amusement. "Your dating power is so great!" He steps back as if hit, but a bar appears over his head as if it's a health bar. Instead of dropping from full, it begins to fill up. It's labled..."dating power"? You are slightly confused, but try not to think on it too hard. You sigh and shake your head instead.  
          "The tension is rising!" Papyrus exclaims. As if on cue, a "tension" indicator appears next to him to gauge said tension. "I, the great Papyrus, have never been beaten in dating, and I never will! I can easily keep up with you! You see, I, too, can wear clothing!"  
          (Didn't he say that he's never done this before?)  
          You laugh, realizing this fact, as well! You tell Papyrus he certainly is enthusiastic. But, he's not listening. He's already rooting through his closet to find something to wear.


	31. Chapter 31

          With unexpected speed, Papyrus dons a strange outfit: a tanktop that says "cool dude" on it, some kind of shoulder pads that looked like basketballs, a pair of...was that booty shorts?,  white socks that look like a businessman might wear them, and a pair of slip-on loafers. He also seemed to have some sweat guards on his wrists. You really have never seen anything quite like it. You try to stifle a giggle. Chara is choking trying to not die laughing. Papyrus doesn't seem bothered at all. In fact, he thinks he's very handsome!  
          "Nyeh! What do you think of my  _secret_ style, human?"  
          Another window appears in front of you, and you chose the positive option - "I love it."  
          "No! A genuine compliment!" The skeleton appears to take damage, and the "Date Power" bar increases more. You aren't sure what will happen when it becomes full. He quickly recovers, however. "But, you don't know the  _true_ power of this outfit! Therefore...what you just said is  _invalid!_ " This causes the Date Power to drop slightly, but not enough to affect much. "I will not allow this date to escalate further...until you  _find my secret_!" He chuckles haughtily. "But that  _won't_ happen."  
          (What's that supposed to mean?)  
          A small arrow appears in the air. A tip appears as a window and says "Move and inspect with the arrow." You point at it and it seems to move at your command.  
          (Try moving it to that basketball thing.)  
          You do as Chara suggests, and then will the arrow to do this "inspect" thing. It seems to touch Papyrus' arm, to which is speaks.  
          "I see. So you like caressing my biceps with that little arrow. But, who doesn't?"  
          Apparently this is not the  _secret_ he is speaking about. You move the arrow to his shoe.  
          "Human souls are stronger than monster souls. But our shoe souls...!" He looks to the left and squints. "...are about the same."  
          You try one more spot - his hat. This seems to illicit a strange reaction from him.  
          "My hat. My hat! Nyeheheh!" He lifts the hat off his head and a wrapped present is underneath. What a strange place to keep a present. "Well, you found my secret! I suppose I have no choice! This is a present j-just for you!"  
          Another window appears, and you chose to open the present. The wrapping seems to dissolve, and a plate of spaghetti sits on his head.  
          "I bet you're thinking 'oh, it's just spaghetti,' but you are oh so wrong! This is an  _artisan's_ work! It's  _silken_ spaghetti, aged in a fine oaken cask, then cooked by  _me_ , master chef Papyrus!" He pauses, making a very serious face. "Human! It's time to end this! There's no way this can go any further!"  
          You ignore his rant, leap across the room, and snatch the spaghetti from where it sits on his head. Chara seems surprised at your reaction, and probably would have said something had they thought of something to say. But you are  _too_ fast! Within seconds, the spaghetti is gone.  
          Which, consequently, was  _not_ a good idea. The spaghetti is...indescribable. Your face scrunches up, and you think you might be ill. Your stomach makes a strange noise, and you fall backwards, unable to stand up. You burp loudly, regretting your decision. Chara's face is turning red from holding in laughter.  
          "What a passionate expression! You must  _really_ love my cooking!"  
          ( _That's_ for sure!)  
          "By extension, you love me, too!"  
          You hold in a burp, fighting nausea as you lay on the floor. But you manage to nod.  
          The Date Power bar explodes. It fills up completely, and bypasses the end. Papyrus falls over dramatically, grabbing his chest.  
          "Human," he breathes. "It's clear now. You're madly in love with me." He stands up carefully, offering a hand of assistance. You take it, still grasping your stomach. You feel as if you may throw up. "Everything you do, everything you say...it's all been for my sake."  
          You think your face may be turning green. But, you let Papyrus speak. He's very passionate about what he's saying.  
          "Human, I want you to be happy, too. It's time for me to express my feelings. It's time that I told you that I, Papyrus," he breathes, "uh, uhm...is it hot in here or is it just me?" He tugs on his collar. "H-human, I am sorry! I do not like you the way you like me. Romantically, I mean!"  
          You frown, but not because you have been rejected. You hadn't really planned on dating him anyway. But, your stomach is making very strange noises. You don't know how much longer you can stand here. You are trying to be polite and let him finish, but, you're not sure how long you can last!  
          "I mean, I tried very hard to! I thought that just because you flirted with me that I was supposed to go on a date with you. Then, on that date, feelings would blossom forth! I thought I would be able to match your passion for me!" He sighs. "But alas, I, the Great Papyrus, have failed. I feel just the same as before. Instead, by dating you, I have only drawn you deeper into your intense love for me!"  
          You clench your jaw, forcing a smile. You tell him that it's okay.  
          "A dark prison of passion with no escape!" He clenches his fists dramatically. "How could I have done this to my dear friend?"  
          You tell him that you'll be fine. Chara is beginning to laugh, but you aren't sure what part they are laughing about - Papyrus, or your suffering. Or maybe, it's both.  
          "No, wait! That's wrong. I, the Great Papyrus, never fail at _anything_!" He stands tall as if he is a superhero.   
          "Human! I'll help you through these trying times. I'll keep being your cool friend," he pauses and looks sideways, "and act like all of this never happened! After all, you are very great! It would be tragic to lose your friendship!"   
          He kneels down to meet your eyes. "So please, don't cry because I won't kiss you. Because, I don't even have lips. And hey - someday you'll find someone as great as me." He grins. "Well, no. That's not true. But, I'll help you settle for second best. Nyehehe!" He turns back to the computer, but seems to remember something. "Oh! And if you ever need to reach me, here's my  _phone number_."   
          He hands you a card with his number on it. You put it in your pocket and promise to call him whenever you want to talk. But you have a more important request right now. He looks at you and tilts his head.  
          (They need a bathroom. You got one in the house?)


	32. Chapter 32

          You still feel a little ill, but the bathroom at Grillby's was at least nearby. You wash your hands with extra soap, and hope you don't have to visit it again. Apparently, since monsters don't actually literally eat, they don't need to use a bathroom. This is a very frustrating design flaw you will have to inform he builders about.  
          (Took you long enough,) Chara says with slight annoyance. You decide to ignore them as you thank Grillby for the use of his facility. You think he nods, but you aren't sure, seeing as he is basically always nodding...kind of? You aren't really sure.  
          Having finally finished everything you think you can do in Snowdin, you decide it is probably time to continue down the path you had originally planned to go before Papyrus showed up. The air is freezing, as last time, and you can see your breath. You look at Chara, who is visibly shivering, but seems to try and hide it when they notice you staring. They frown, but seem to relax a little now, as opposed to last time.  
          (What?)  
          You shake your head and hug yourself to keep warm.  
          They snow seems to suddenly dissappear as if you've crossed some kind of barrier. You pause for a moment in surprise and look around. The air is also suddenly warmer. You turn back to the snowy area and cross the barrier. It suddenly becomes very cold again. You are very intrigued! You step across the border a few more times, going from ice cold to humid and warm. It's a very strange sensation. You smile at your discovery.  
          (Wh-what are you  _doing_?)  
          You grin and tell them that there's an invisible...something! It's warm here, but cold there! You smile again in excitement of your discovery, moving back and forth to demonstrate.  
          Chara doesn't seem too impressed, almost as if they've seen this before. But, they manage a small smile, relaxing a little bit. They shake their head, and start to walk ahead.  
          You don't really mind. You jog to catch up and find Chara smiling. You ask them what's so funny.  
          (N-nothing! Nothing's funny....)  
          You don't question further, but you smile yourself.  
          The river here is a little smoother than in Snowdin. You spot a giant ice block, and find it strange to be floating down the stream. You pause to watch it float by, and Chara seems to sense your confusion, as well as your curiosity.  
          (There's a northern section of Snowdin where Jimmy Hotpants throws ice blocks. They go to the Core to keep it cool.)  
          You raise an eyebrow at the strange name.  
          (He's a wolf monster. I don't know why that's his name, but he insists on being called that.)  
          You ask about the Core.  
          (It's like...a power source for the Underground. Like a place where the power is stored and sent all over.)  
          You ask if this is like a place that makes electricity like on the surface.  
          (That sounds about right. Seems it gets hot a lot, so Jimmy sends those ice blocks to cool it down.)  
          You open your  _Underground's Complete Guide to Monsters_ and try to find his page. There seems to be a little information, though not much.

          _**Jimmy Hotpants -** ATK ? DEF ?  
_          Supervisor of Operations for Core cooling system.  
  
          You don't see anything else on the page except a  picture of him, of course. You frown, thinking you should have visited him before leaving Snowdin.  
          (Oh come  _on_. Don't go  _back_ again.)  
          You frown, dissappointed at losing an opportunity to learn something new, but Chara's right. If you want to get out of here, it might be better to continue onward. But, now that you think about it, you realize this place is better than what you had to deal with on the surface....  
          Chara looks at you, surprised at your silence. You don't notice them staring for quite a few seconds.  
          (Uh...you okay?)  
          You jump, surprised they are curious about your well-being. You put a hand on your head to shake off your memories and nod. You're fine, you just don't want to think about your past right now.  
          You come to what seems to be a resting spot near the falls. There's a familiar face...wait...two familiar faces!  
          One of them greets you right away. It's the kid from the town before - the one with the striped shirt.  
          "Hey! Hey! Yeah, wow! I'm glad to see you again!"  
          He seems surprisingly happy to see you. You give him a smile, actually kind of glad to see him.  
          "Are you sneaking out to see  _her_ too? Awesome! She's the coolest,  _right_?" He gives you a toothy grin and flicks his tail in excitement. "I wanna be  _just_ like her when I grow up!" You aren't sure who he means, but you let him continue to gush for a bit. "Oh, and don't tell my parents I'm here, okay? Ha ha...."


	33. Chapter 33

          You grin at the monster child, glad to see something has made him so happy.  
          "By the way, you can call me Monster Kid, or MK, if you wanna," he adds.  
          You tell him you are glad to meet him, and share your name as well.  
          "Frisk? What a strange name. Oh well, it's cool! Hope to see you around!"  
          Seemingly satisfied, he races down the path before you can say another word. He must be excited to see this...woman he mentioned. You turn to another monster who appears to be standing next to a strange flower.  
          (This seems a little familiar,) Chara says, moving close to inspect the flower.  
          "Hello," the monster next to the flower says. They appear to be about twice your height with red skin, and something that looks like gills. "This is an echo flower." They motion toward the blue flower that Chara is currently inspecting.  
          (Hmmmm...)  
          "Hmmmm..." the flower repeats.  
          (Ah!) Chara exclaims and steps back.  
          "As you can see," the monster explains, "it repeats the last thing it heard over and over. Neat huh?"  
          "Neat huh...?" the flower echoes.  
          (Not sure how useful this is, but it's neat anyway.)  
          "Neat anyway..."  
          You tuck this information into you mind for future use. You can't think of a reason this will be useful, but you never know. You spot another shiny rock like the one you have in your pocket, and reach for your own. The sound of the waterfall reminds you to be calm and you find yourself growing more brave. You feel as if something big might be coming in the near future.  
          You are glad to see a familiar face in the sentry station. Sans greets you with his usual grin.  
          (What are you doing here, Sans?)  
          "What? You haven't seen a guy with two jobs before?"  
          You smile and tell him you didn't think he could handle more than one.  
          "Well, having two jobs also means twice the amount of legally required breaks." He leans on the desk. "I'm gonna go to Grillby's for a bit. Wanna come?"  
          (We just  _came_ from there! You wanna go back  _again_?)  
          "Well, if you insist. I'll pry myself away from my work," the skeleton chuckles. Chara shoots him a displeased frown and you nudge it off them. They roll their eyes and allow themselves a very small grin. "This way. I know a shortcut."  
          You follow Sans for just a few seconds, and suddenly you are at Grillby's. You freeze, shocked at the sudden...teleportation. You think that's what it was. Chara seems just as stunned. You move your feet around, checking that this isn't some illusion. You exchange glances with them as Sans moves towards the bar, greeting everyone along the way. He pauses and turns toward you.  
          "Fast shortcut, huh?"  
          You can think of nothing except to nod. Chara puts a hand on your shoulder as if to stabilize themselves. They seem very out of sorts. You ask them if they are okay.  
          (I-I think s-so. Look, Sans is calling us to the bar. I think once we sit down...)  
          You are already feeling a bit better. You nod and head for the set next to the skeleton. You make a mental note never to ask him for a shortcut again.  
          As you sit down, you hear a soft _pffffffffrrrt._ You look at him, blushing in embarassment! Chara stifles a giggle.  
          "Careful there. Sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seats."  
          Your grumble something and Chara just giggles. You are pretty sure the whole thing is Sans' doing.


	34. Chapter 34

          Sans slides a menu to you. It's not very large, and only one hastily laminated page with burn marks on the side. It seems Grillby may have tried to laminate it himself and gotten a little frustrated. You glance at it and only see a few things that appeal to you.  
          "Anyway, let's order, eh?" the skeleton says, leaning on the bar. "Whatta ya want?"  
          (The burger seems okay,) Chara comments.   
          You don't really feel like eating anything heavy at the moment, so you decide on fries, much to Chara's dismay. Sans chuckles and looks at your soul-sharer.  
          "You can get a burger if you want."  
          Chara seems pleased and orders themselves a burger while you stick with your fries. Sans decided on fries as well, and lets Grillby know. The fiery monster nods, and dissappears into the kitchen to fulfill the orders.  
          "So," Sans starts, turn toward you. Chara peers around your shoulder, curious about what the skeleton might say. "What do you think about my brother?"  
          (He's a bit high strung if you ask me,) Chara replies. You elbow them in the stomach, which surprises them so much, they fall off the stool. (What the heckie was that for?) they demand, grasping their stomach.  
          You refuse to answer them. Instead, you turn back toward Sans, your angry expression melting. You tell him you really like Papyrus and that he's pretty cool. This makes him smile.  
          "Of course he's cool," he says, leaning on the bar and putting a bony hand on his cheek. "You'd be pretty cool, too, if you wore that kind of outfit every day." He continued, seemingly recalling something. "He'd only take that off if he  _had_ to. Oh well - at least he washes it. And...by that I mean he wears it in the shower."  
          Chara claps their hands and you turn to see what is going on. It appears that the food is ready. Grillby flares slightly, and you are not sure of that is his equivalent of a smile or an annoyed stare. You try not to think about it too much as he slides the food onto the bar.  
          "Hey, want some ketchup?"  
          You turn to the skeleton and nod. He hands you the bottle and you try, very carefully, to dump some out of the glass bottle. However, it seems that the ketchup doesn't want to come out. You smack on the bottom, and suddenly, all of the condiment falls out over top of your fries!  
          (Aww, what the heckie! I wanted some!)  
          "Woops."  
          You glare are Sans, but he chuckles. You can't seem to stay mad at him.  
          "Here, you can have mine," he adds, sliding his fries over to you. "I'm not hungry anyway."  
          Chara pats their bun on top of your ketchup pile. It seems like just enough for their  _burger_ , but it might not be so bad with an extra plate of fries. They grin and dig into their burger while you just use the ruined fries as a ketchup plate.  
          Sans scratches his rear and continues. "Anyway, cool or not, you have to agree Papyrus tries real hard. Like how he keeps trying to be part of the Royal Guard." He smiles, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. "One day he went to the house of the head of the Royal Guard and begged her to let him be in it. Of course, she shut the door on him because it was midnight, but the next day she woke up to find him still sitting there. Seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training. It's uh...still a work in progress."  
          Sans face suddenly gets dark. You stop mid-bite, surprised by his change in expression. Chara doesn't seem to notice anything and continues to inhale their burger.  
          "I need to ask you something." He leans closer.  
          You nod and swallow your food, a bit apprehensive.  
          "Have you ever heard of...a  _talking_ flower?"  
          You think for a moment. Should you tell Sans the truth? He seems very serious. Maybe if you say yes, he might tell you more. You nod, then reiterate your answer by telling him you have heard of one.  
          "So...you know all about it," he says, sitting up. "The  _echo_ flower."  
          You sit back and sigh, wishing he had been referring to Flowey. You had hoped he could tell you more, but it appears he doesn't know about  _that_ talking flower. You explain that a monster told you about it and that it repeats everything it hears.  
          "Yeah, that's right. Say something to them and they'll repeat it over and over."  
          You tilt your head, a little confused. You hear Chara suck down some ice water. It seems they are done eating. You take another fry and ask Sans what he means about the echo flowers.  
          "Well, Papyrus told me something interesting the other day. Sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers things to him: flattery, advice, encouragement...predictions...." He raises an eyebrow. "Weird, huh? Someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him."  
          A chill runs down your spine. You shove a few fries in your mouth to distract yourself.  
          "Your face is really pale," Sans says, surprised.  
          You shake your head.  
          (I know about that flower, too. It's...)  
          You put a hand over Chara's mouth. They turn pink in anger, but say nothing. Sans gives you a confused look.  
          "Okay, but just keep an eye out. There's weird things out there."


	35. Chapter 35

          "Welp, I better get back to my post," Sans says, standing up. "I can't believe I let you pull me away from work for so long." He turns to leave, but then pauses, turning back to you. "Oh by the way. I'm flat broke. Can you foot the bill? It's just 10,000 gold."  
          Chara's face turns a shade of purple you'd never seen in your life. ( _Excuse_ me?)  
          Sans chuckles. "Just kidding. Put it on my tab, Grillby."  
          The flaming bartender nods. You slip off the stool and head toward the door after Sans.  
          "Oh, by the way. I was..." he pauses. "I was going to say something, but I forgot."  
          You raise an eyebrow and exchange glances with Chara. They don't seem to get it either, but you figure it's probably better this way. You wonder if he knows anything about that weird Flowey character. But, if you were going to ask him, your chance is past. He's already left.  
          You push the door open and head back out into the cold. It seems just slightly warmer, but that might be because the diner was so warm. You say nothing as you make your way back out of town for the third time. A glance at Chara tells you they are glad to be leaving, even if you aren't.  
          You make your way back to the warmer climate of the waterfall area and pass Monster Kid and Sans again. You give him a small wave and he gives you a wink as you pass by. You find yourself giggling, which of course causes Chara to roll their eyes. At least they didn't make any rude comments.  
          A large waterfall greets you a bit farther down the path. You pause, taken aback by the roaring water. How did you not hear it all the way back at Sans' outpost? The path sees to continue on the other side. Does that mean...?  
          (You mean we gotta  _cross_ this? There's  _freaking rocks_ falling from the top! What if one hits us?)  
          You nod and frown. You glance around and find a bridge that seems to cross about halfway, then stops. It looks like someone was working on it, and just never finished it. You point at it and Chara's brow flattens in annoyance.  
          (Who would just  _stop_ making a br-...Sans...!)  
          You think this is probably the best explanation. You don't think that bridge would be useful in its current state, so you do the only thing you can do - you begin to wade into the water.  
          (Are you  _crazy_? Wh-what are you  _doing_? What if a rock hits you?)  
          You tell them there really is no other choice. You will just have to be careful and watch for the rocks. They seem to agree that there is no other choice, but they don't really like the idea. You bite your lip and begin to make your way across, watching for falling rocks.  
          Your companion sighs, and follows just as carefully. You wish you had extra socks and shoes, as your feet will be completely soaked after this. You step out of the way of a large falling rock when something sparkling catches your attention.  
          (What? What is it?)  
          You turn toward the roaring falls and squint. There seems to be something  _behind_ the falls. You lean in to try and get a better look.  
          (Watch out!)  
          You are tackled from behind as a rather large boulder crashes by. You feel your heart leap to your throat, realizing what could have been you. Chara is now soaking wet, but so arm you. They stand up very carefully and give you a glare that might have the power to kill you.  
          Thankfully, you are still alive, but more rocks seem to be coming down now. They grab your arm and race you across the falls, tripping over their own feet in the process. You shout at them to stand up and wrench their arm up just in time to leap out of the way.  
          (What the  _heck_ were you  _looking_ at, idiot?) They are breathing hard and their face is red with anger. (You could have been  _killed_!)  
          You are stunned by their reaction. You aren't sure what to say. They glare at you for a few seconds before slumping to the ground, dripping wet.  
          (You could have been killed....) they add, putting their face in their arms.  
          You stammer out that you saw something behind the falls. It kind of looked like...a camera lens.  
          (Who  _cares_? Why would you  _stop_ in the middle of a  _dangerous_ area to look at a  _camera_?) the demand, shooting you a piercing glare.  
          You rub the back of your neck and look away, unsure what to say. You manage to utter an apology, which is replied to with a  _hmph_.  
          (Whatever. Let's just  _go_.)


End file.
